Mercedes came close to signing young Dutchman Max Verstappen but ultimately advised he would be better off with Red Bull, according to Toto Wolff.
The 16-year-old will make his Formula 1 debut next season with a full-time race seat with Red Bull’s junior team, Toro Rosso.
The promise of a race seat prompted Wolff to end Mercedes’ negotiations with Verstappen and his father-manager Jos and they were unable to offer something similar.
“We had several meetings with Jos and Max,” Wolff confirmed to Bild. “He is certainly a great talent, but we would not and could not guarantee him a seat with us in Formula 1.
“So I advised them to accept the offer from Red Bull.”
When the Formula 3 driver makes his debut, he will be 17, but will still be the youngest F1 driver in history, beating Jaime Alguersuari who made his debut with Toro Rosso in 2009 at the age of 19.
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