The rumors of Mercedes looking to poach Max Verstappen are running rife lately in F1 media. Toto Wolff has, however, put the record straight by rubbishing such speculations. The Mercedes team principal was speaking to select media during a WhatsApp event in New York when he issued a clarification on a reported impending meeting with the Dutchman.
As per Formula Passion, he said, “People make up meetings. They make up what happens with the drivers, but these things should be behind closed doors and everything that came out wasn’t exactly the right thing.”
Earlier last week, reports emerged claiming the Verstappen camp was ready to sit for talks with the Mercedes F1 team owners. Representing the Red Bull driver would be Max Verstappen himself, his father Jos, and manager Raymond Vermeulen. On Mercedes’ side, Toto Wolff, Sir James Ratcliffe, and Ola Kallenius. The trio was rumored to be ready to offer Verstappen a $160 million-a-year contract.
The reports did not come as a surprise as the events coincide with Mercedes’ driver lineup situation. Lewis Hamilton is awaiting his exit in 2025 to join Ferrari. Therefore, the German team is looking for a replacement. Given his proven championship-winning pedigree and incumbent form, Max Verstappen should be a prime target.
Moreover, Toto Wolff has time and again praised the reigning champion ever since the start of the season. Such is the tone that the Austrian has taken lately that it even surprised Verstappen. The Dutchman, during a press conference, took a sly dig at the Mercedes boss, calling him out for being “really nice” to him.
Christian Horner reacts to ‘Max Verstappen to Mercedes’ rumors
Christian Horner has not taken well to the reports of Toto Wolff trying to poach Max Verstappen away. The Red Bull boss took a jibe at his Mercedes counterpart by reminding him about George Russell’s contract situation. The tongue-in-cheek comment insinuated that Russell might follow Lewis Hamilton’s footsteps to walk out of the team if they don’t fix their car.
Horner, as quoted by SoyMotor, said, “Is Toto talking about Max to avoid talking about his car and his team’s current performance? I don’t know if you’ve heard that George Russell’s contract ends at the end of 2025, so you know he might not be so interested in staying for 2026. The driver market continues to move.”
Verstappen‘s stay with Red Bull ends in 2028. The Dutchman has time and again reiterated his commitment to honor the contract. The team, however, has hit a roadblock recently. An internal power struggle has ruffled some feathers in the garage. It led to Max Verstappen admitting that he might move out if Helmut Marko decides to leave.
This admission is one of the primary motivators for Wolff to pursue Verstappen so keenly. The Mercedes boss is being prudent in waiting to seize the opportunity to sign Verstappen, if the Red Bull turmoil causes a lot of stir probing him to leave.
