Max Verstappen was repeatedly linked with a move to Mercedes during the recently ended Formula 1 season. Team boss Toto Wolff openly campaigned for the world champion. Now Verstappen has revealed that there were actually discussions and how they went.
There have been repeated rumblings at Red Bull Racing this year. There was talk of internal quarrels and power struggles, with team boss Christian Horner in the middle of it all, who also had to answer for allegations made by a close employee. Max Verstappen was therefore repeatedly linked with a move.
With the departure of head of technology and design guru Adrian Newey, the rumors flared up again. Mercedes in particular was repeatedly mentioned as an interested party in this context, as the Silver Arrows had to give up Lewis Hamilton’s vacant position. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff openly courted Verstappen.
And as it now turns out, there were actually negotiations with the now four-time Formula 1 world champion. Verstappen revealed this in his regular season review on the Dutch TV channel “Viaplay”.
“The big teams are always interesting, but on the other hand I’m also in a very big team,” he said when asked about the speculation about Wolff and Mercedes that was floating around in the paddock and added with a view to Red Bull Racing: “I I’ve had a lot of success with them, it feels like a second family there.”
Verstappen: Formula 1 is not like football
The Dutchman then opened up and revealed: “Of course we all always talk to each other. And I’m not lying when I say that we sat together.” Verstappen continued that there were “very constructive discussions”. Everyone “always treated each other very honestly and openly,” added the 27-year-old.
“On the other hand, I am also very loyal to my team and I just feel comfortable there,” said Verstappen, who is tied to Red Bull Racing until the end of 2028. “So there’s actually not much that can be achieved at the moment (for interested parties like Mercedes/d.Red.).”
But he is still “very young, a lot can happen in the future,” said the four-time champion, not ruling anything out. However, in Formula 1 it is not like in football, where players constantly change before the end of the contract period.
Verstappen emphasized that because he doesn’t know “what will happen next year or in two years and you can’t control that,” he doesn’t think about it that much.