Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed talks over luring Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to the team in 2025 were held and abandoned across Formula 1’s summer break.
Ever since it was announced Lewis Hamilton will move to Ferrari, Wolff has been vocal on several occasions that his primary desire is to attain Verstappen’s services.
Verstappen has a deal with Red Bull until 2028, but the tension that has been prevalent in the team since pre-season has prompted rumours he could head elsewhere.
However, a clause which could have allowed Verstappen to leave had Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko departed has since been removed through the latter’s extension.
But Wolff has divulged that he remained in touch with Verstappen’s camp throughout the summer, which ended with all parties agreeing 2025 wasn’t the time to align.
“I though all through the year that there was a window or that there was a possibility. It wasn’t zero,” Wolff told Motorsport.com.
“It’s pretty bumpy ground there still, and not only for performance reasons, but also because of interpersonal issues that we’re all aware.
“By the way, I got on with Jos for all my life. But maybe because we’re a bit similar. And that’s why I thought the door was never completely closed.
“What were the odds of that happening? Maybe there were 10 to 1. Nine to one.
Still, I didn’t want to give up, but then together we came to the conclusion over the summer that we shouldn’t be waiting for something to happen before committing for 2025, but let’s continue doing our job, Max at Red Bull and here at Mercedes taking our own driver decisions. And that was a kind of joint thought.”
Having remarked earlier in the campaign that he would do a “handstand” to land Verstappen, Wolff has quipped that he has since “hurt his wrist” through discussions.
Nonetheless, he was content with the honest relationship that he has with Verstappen’s entourage as he remains positive that a switch will materialise at some stage.
“What I like with Max, Raymond [Vermeulen, Verstappen’s manager] and Jos is that we talk straight,” he explained. “We don’t need to push each other.
“We have been in this too long; we’ve taken the decision for drivers for next year. This is what our full effort is going into.
“Hopefully that’s going to be the lineup for 2026 and beyond. But that doesn’t close the door on Max being with us in ’26 or beyond, because we want to still keep all the options open in the same way he does. So what I enjoyed in our conversations is there is never a hidden agenda.”
“Somehow I have that feeling [that a move will happen]. But I don’t know when that could be. Whether it’s ’26, whether it’s three years later, I don’t know yet.”
Verstappen remaining with Red Bull in 2025 has all but ensured that Mercedes protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace Hamilton and slot in next to George Russell.
Wolff has appeared to let slip that it is a done deal amid rumours the Italian could be announced in the other Mercedes seat in his home race at Monza next weekend.
“Soon, we will confirm who is in the second seat,” he added. “And what I also said is that the two drivers that are in the car have our full support, 100%.
“And therefore I’m entering the season in 2025 with two drivers that we will be giving all the opportunity to perform.
“And that’s why I don’t want to talk about the 2026 driver lineup at that stage because I want to make it work with George and Kimi.”
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