Max Verstappen and Toto Wolff keeping in ‘open communication’ over Mercedes switch
Max Verstappen and Toto Wolff keeping in ‘open communication’ over Mercedes switch
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is keeping his interest in Max Verstappen in the public domain, much to Red Bull and Christian Horner’s frustration
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff remains interested in signing Max Verstappen at some stage
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is refusing to shut the door on a potential future deal with Max Verstappen.
That is despite the Brackley squad being on the verge of confirming Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s successor. The Silver Arrows chief has made no secret of his desire to sign the three-time F1 champion amid internal ructions at Red Bull this season.
Speculation has been rife over possible exit strategies for Verstappen should key figures depart Red Bull, sparking talk about the Dutchman joining Mercedes as early as next year. With Antonelli, 18, tipped to partner George Russell from 2025, that prospect is off the table.
However, hopes of Verstappen jumping ship to Mercedes in 2026, which will see a major regulation change, continue to linger. Wolff has told the BBC that he is keeping lines of communication open with the Verstappen camp, commenting on their mutual understanding.
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The frosty relationship between Jos Verstappen, Max’s dad, and Red Bull boss Christian Horner may work in Wolff’s favour. Meanwhile, the once yawning chasm between Red Bull’s speed and the rest has vanished, with McLaren at least on terms and Mercedes and Ferrari not far behind.
“Red Bull was the dominant car at the beginning of the season,” said Wolff. “And that changed a bit. It’s Max Verstappen dominant at the moment.
“And the relationships were dysfunctional. I’m not sure they are back in a great place, but it is what it is. There was a moment, or there was an opportunity, to at least have conversations of what it could be in the future, and this is what we did.”
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On the possibility of Verstappen making a switch to Mercedes for 2026, Wolff said it was “much too early” to delve into such discussions, adding it would be unfair to his 2025 line-up. However, he hinted at more talks could be on the cards.
“We have not given each other any, let’s say, timings,” he said. “It is more like, keep the communication channel open, while knowing that his priority is to make it function with Red Bull and our priority will be to make it function with the two drivers we have.”
Antonelli, after an intensive test run with cars from previous seasons, is set to make his highly anticipated first appearance during a race weekend at the Italian Grand Prix, driving Russell’s car in free practice one.
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