Toto Wolff Reveals Conversations Between Max Verstappen's Father That Hinted At 2025 Contract

Saajan Jogia | Aug 24, 2024

2024 Chinese Grand Prix, Sunday - Toto Wolff / Sebastian Kawka/Mercedes

Ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff discussed the chances of Max Verstappen joining Mercedes in 2025. He also addressed how his friendly relationship with Max's father, Jos Verstappen, might influence the three-time world champion's prospects of joining Mercedes in the future.

Wolff has been eager to get Verstappen onboard Mercedes since Lewis Hamilton announced his Mercedes exit in February. The strategy was to capitalize on Red Bull's uncertain environment amid rumors of power struggles within the team, which followed an investigation involving team principal Christian Horner for alleged inappropriate behavior.

But with the Milton Keynes outfit sporting the fastest car on the F1 grid since 2022, and Verstappen's Red Bull contract lasting until 2028, he expressed no interest in switching to Mercedes. Speaking about the anticipated possibility of him joining Mercedes for the 2025 season, Wolff told the media at Zandvoort:

"I thought all through the year that there was a window or that there was a possibility. It wasn't zero.

"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 they were 10 to one. Nine to one. Still, I didn't want to give up, but then we together came to the conclusion over the summer that we shouldn't be waiting for something to happen before committing for 2025, but let's just continue our job, Max at Red Bull and here at Mercedes taking our own driver decisions.

"And that was a kind of a joint thought.”

Despite Verstappen being out of the Mercedes picture in 2025, Wolff hasn't lost hope for 2026 and beyond, hinting that a time will come in the future when Verstappen will join hands with Mercedes. He added:

"What I like with Max, Raymond and Jos is that we talk straight. 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 line-up for 2026 and beyond. But that doesn't close the door on Max being with us in 2026 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 Mercedes and Verstappen will eventually join forces]. But I don't know when that could be. Whether it's '26, whether it's three years' later, I don't know yet.”

While Wolff hasn't revealed anything about Hamilton's replacement, a slip of the tongue in a recent interview suggests that Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli will secure the seat alongside George Russell in 2025. He told De Telegraaf:

“The two drivers in our car next year have our full support. I want to make it work with George [Russell] and Kimi [Antonelli].”