– Will Max Verstappen ever drive for Mercedes in Formula 1? That is the question team boss Toto Wolff is usually asked during his annual media round with Dutch journalists in Zandvoort. And this time the door seems to be closed – although Wolff keeps it slightly ajar.
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The history of Formula 1 could have turned out very differently if Mercedes had beaten Red Bull in 2014 to secure the future talent when Verstappen was winning race after race as a Formula 3 rookie.
But his eyes were firmly set on an immediate debut in the World Championship. That was something only Red Bull could offer him because of their second team.
Since then, Mercedes and Verstappen have always been rivals, but two years ago Wolff revealed that he had held talks with the then three-time world champion. The Austrian faced the Herculean task of finding a worthy replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who was moving to Ferrari, and already had the next generation prodigy, Kimi Antonelli, in his sights.
However, he would of course not have let the opportunity to sign Verstappen pass if there had been even the slightest chance of it happening.
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That did not happen, but Wolff emphasized at the time that the door was by no means closed when asked if he still had a potential Verstappen switch in mind: “Yes, I do. Somehow I have this feeling. But I don’t know when that could be. Whether 2026 or only three years later, I don’t know yet.”
A year later, Wolff again approached Verstappen when rookie Antonelli was struggling in his debut season, but the Red Bull driver once again pledged loyalty to the Milton Keynes team.
“Could that mean that our paths will never cross because the timing is not right? Well, that can happen,” Wolff pondered at the time. “But you know, the risk for that is 50 percent. The other 50 percent is that we will drive together at a certain stage of our careers if it fits both sides.”
Wolff: Cooperation far off
By now, however, Wolff cannot imagine Verstappen moving to Mercedes in the foreseeable future – after Russell and Antonelli were already confirmed for 2027 with the Silver Arrows in June, while the Dutchman’s new Red Bull deal was announced ahead of his home race.
And that, even though Verstappen is currently experiencing his first winless season since 2015.
“We already had the feeling quite early that it was the right decision for us to continue with George and Kimi – for various reasons. But it just seems like this driver pairing has exactly the right, positive dynamic,” Wolff commented.
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“It allows Kimi to grow and pushes George to deliver his best performance because he has a fast, young teammate.”
“Therefore, it seemed completely logical that Max stays at Red Bull. Better the devil you know – that’s the punchline! – and then you wait and see what happens in two or three years when the contracts expire again and his options probably amount not just to one team, but to three or four at the same time. And then you see who performs best.”
Asked if Mercedes had any chance at all to sign Verstappen for 2027, Wolff said: “It was clear very early in late spring that we would continue as before.”
“We maintain an open and in a way as transparent a relationship as possible. So the situation was, as you say, quite different from last year when both sides were still exploring whether a cooperation could come about or not,” said the Austrian.
Wolff not surprised by extension
The announcement of Verstappen’s new contract ended speculation about the future of the four-time world champion after he had proven to be probably the sharpest critic of the new F1 regulations among the drivers.
Cryptic, casual remarks about “life decisions” to be made further fueled rumors amid his involvement in GT3 racing. In the end, however, the Red Bull superstar decided to continue his Formula 1 career.
Asked if he was surprised that Verstappen would remain in the racing series even longer, Wolff said: “No. The more mature the regulations become, the more the teams will catch up. And even if Red Bull is currently behind, it is clear: Give them some time, and they will shine again.”
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“They had strong races this year, others not. But I have no doubt that in the future the usual suspects will fight for wins and championships again – be it Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull or ourselves. Therefore, the decision is somewhat logical for me.”
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