© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Max Verstappen’s father Jos says he had a “serious discussion” with Toto Wolff about Max possibly signing with Mercedes, but he doesn’t think “Toto had followed him much in karting”.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Toto Wolff revealed he had spoken to Max Verstappen and his father Jos about possibly signing Max to a Mercedes deal, while he was still racing in junior categories.
During the interview Toto noted that “back in the day I think there wasn’t huge hype around Max”.
“So the insiders knew that Max probably was in an inferior package and in his first year, and the insiders knew there was a very good one coming, but it wasn’t clear that he was that good at that stage,” Toto continued.
“You can only say when someone grows in Formula One and matures that he is a true world champion, an outstanding one.
“Before we had Lewis and then Michael Schumacher and before that [Ayrton] Senna. Who is the next one? Was it clear that Max would step into these shoes?
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“It wasn’t clear back then,” the Austrian concluded.
Now, in a talk with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Jos Verstappen recounted the story from his perspective.
“We went to his house in Vienna,” the elder Verstappen said.
“We had a serious discussion, but I don’t think Toto had followed him much in karting and really knew how special Max was.
“Otherwise he would have signed him blindfolded, even if Mercedes didn’t have a junior programme,” he concluded.
