Toto Wolff « never planned » to recruit Max Verstappen at Mercedes for 2025

Toto Wolff courted Max Verstappen throughout 2024 as he was looking for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who signed with Ferrari.

The future of the quadruple world champion with Red Bull was not entirely clear, due to behind-the-scenes turbulence with the Horner affair as well as a decline in performance by the Austrian team.

However, the Dutchman, under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, has chosen to remain loyal to the team despite their difficulties on and off the track.

« There was never a plan »

Finally, Toto Wolff opted for Andrea Kimi Antonelli as George Russell’s teammate for 2025. Speaking to the German publication AMuS, the Mercedes boss stated: « There was never a plan. We have always discussed and kept the line of communication open. »

At one point, he told me that he wished to stay where he was for now, because it seemed right to him. And I said that we would go with Kimi, because it also seemed right to us. Now, we will see where that takes us, he says.

Could Max Verstappen leave Red Bull in the future?

Despite speculations about his future, Max Verstappen has remained discreet about the idea of leaving Red Bull. The driver sees Red Bull as his second family and wishes to remain loyal to the organization that offered him his F1 debut in 2015 with Toro Rosso, the sister team.

Speaking to Viaplay, Max Verstappen responded to the rumors regarding Mercedes: « With [Mercedes], of course, a lot of things were at stake, and they had to make a choice for a new driver. I’ve achieved a lot of success with [Red Bull], and it just feels like a second family. »

« You can’t make the decision to leave very quickly. It’s not like I wake up saying: ‘Yes, next year, it’s over’. »

« I am not someone who changes their mind very quickly. So, you really need to think carefully about this kind of decision if you want to make it », he concluded.

If Max Verstappen wished to leave Red Bull, several teams would be ready to welcome him. Besides Mercedes, Aston Martin, which recently signed Adrian Newey and will collaborate with Honda, could become an attractive option for the Dutchman.

Read also: Jos Verstappen worried about Max’s future at Red Bull