When Sir Lewis Hamilton shocked the world in February, announcing a legacy-defining move to Scuderia Ferrari for 2025, few thought Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff would be able to attract a driver of equal quality to take his place.
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However, with unforeseen troubles surrounding his father arising at Red Bull, alongside legendary designer Adrian Newey departing the team, the prospect of Max Verstappen moving to Mercedes is no longer outside the realms of possibility.
“2026 is our main year where lots of things change and I think it could be quite attractive to drive with us,”
Toto Wolff, Sky Sports
With 2025 less of a realistic prospect, Wolff believes that anything could happen when the new regulations are introduced in two years.
“2026 is our main year where lots of things change and I think it could be quite attractive to drive with us,” said Wolff in an interview with Sky.
“But whether it’s Max and whether he can get out of his contract, I don’t know.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has claimed profusely that the three-time world champion is going absolutely nowhere, totally dispelling any rumours about a potential Mercedes move.
Yet still, Wolff believes that if the Silver Arrows can continue their upwards trajectory, tempting the Dutchman to join the German team is on the cards.
“I think in any case, if it if a driver doesn’t want to stay somewhere, it’s very difficult to to keep a driver,” said Wolff.
“But I’m not relying on that. I think most important is to look at ourselves.
“The quick car is always going to track the attention of a quick driver. So that’s our main priority.”
After a fierce battle in 2021 between Verstappen and Hamilton, fought off track with as much venom and intensity between their respective teams, many thought it impossible for the world champion to one day end up at Mercedes.
Whilst it still isn’t reality, the Silver Arrows boss has spoken about the Dutchman with tremendous respect and admiration in recent interviews, commenting on the driver in a recent talk with Austrian outlet OE24.
“I admire [Verstappen’s] achievements and as a person I have come to know him as an extraordinary young man,” said Wolff.
“I’ve said it a lot recently, Max is the best driver at the moment, and everyone who has the chance would like to have Max in their car. Ola [Kallenius, Mercedes chief executive] sees it the same way.”
The 2024 Austrian Grand Prix saw Mercedes and George Russell take their first race victories since Brazil 2022 and whilst they may have inherited the triumph due to contact between Verstappen and Lando Norris, it is part of a sequence of real improvement for the German constructor.
Whilst Red Bull were the dominant outfit during 2023 and the start of 2024, it now looks like those days are over, with four teams capable of taking pole positions and race wins.
“The quick car is always going to track the attention of a quick driver. So that’s our main priority.”
Toto Wolff, Sky Sports
Experts and pundits alike have explained this as a potential reason as to why the world champion may have reverted to a more aggressive form of his racing self on Sunday, but the adoring Wolff believes there is no correlation between the Verstappen of 2021 and 2024.
“I don’t think you can take this conclusion,” Wolff said in an interview with Sky.
“It’s been so long, in a way, from our side. We are in a different place today, and I think he (Verstappen) is. It takes two to tango,”
As silly season goes on and Wolff finally decides who will fill the vacant Silver Arrow in 2025, this speculation surrounding Verstappen isn’t likely to quieten down.
However, even if 2025 isn’t a plan that develops into reality, rumours surrounding an extremely competitive 2026 Mercedes engine may make the Dutchman completing a move next year much more realistic.
In the meantime, we will all just have to wait and see.
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Photo credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team