Eagle-eyed Formula 1 fans discovered that Max Verstappen and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff have both been in Sardinia, triggering speculation that the two have met.
Recent rumours suggest that the Red Bull man is keen on a potential move to the German marque, with current driver George Russell stating talks have taken place.
Wolff himself also fuelled the speculation further by refusing to deny that talks between both he and Verstappen had taken place.
Now online chatter is rife, after publicly available tracking information confirmed that yachts belonging to the two men were near each other in Sardinia.
This came after an X account that follows the whereabouts of the four-time World Champion’s private jet showed a tracker that it had landed in Sardinia, taking off from Nice.
The information corroborated the information received by former F1 driver-turned TV pundit Ralf Schumacher, who said he has heard the two will be meeting.
“It’s no coincidence either that this week, two yachts are cruising off Sardinia,” he told Formel1.de, “one belongs to Toto Wolff, the other to Max Verstappen.
“And from what I hear, there’s a good chance they might have had a coffee together.”
This succeeds Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reporting that Ola Kallenius, Chairman and CEO of Mercedes-Benz, has approved the signing of Verstappen.
The fee that would trigger the release clause of Verstappen’s contract, which has three more seasons on it after this one, is said to be €120 million.
This news comes after Verstappen’s boss, Christian Horner, was fired by Red Bull after 20 years in charge, immediately removing his operational duties as Team Principal and CEO.
Horner’s departure has added another element of intrigue to the saga, as longstanding rumours about Verstappen’s father Jos wanting the 51-year-old out of the team now point towards the likelihood of Verstappen remaining with the Milton Keynes-based squad.
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