© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Toto Wolff says he would “love to have” Max Verstappen at Mercedes, but first the team ‘owes’ it “to George and Lewis to improve the car”.
With rumours regarding Red Bull’s internal turmoil running rampant, there has been a lot of speculation in the media about Max Verstappen’s possible switch to Mercedes.
The speculation intensified after the Dutchman said his fate is tied to the fate of Red Bull’s advisor Dr Helmut Marko, who is seemingly clashing with team boss Christian Horner.
After the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Toto Wolff was asked to comment on the situation and the possibility of Max switching to his team.
“Let’s word it like this, I think this is a decision that Max needs to take and there is no team up and down the grid that wouldn’t do handstands to have him in the car,” the Austrian said.
“I’d love to have him, but first we need to sort out our car. First, we owe it to George and Lewis to improve the car and give them equipment that is good before dreaming about the future next year.”
Wolff added he expects Max to stay at Red Bull for now, as it’s obvious that they have far and away the best car on the grid.
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“A driver will always try to be in the fastest possible car. That gives you the best chances of winning races and championships and this is where Max is at the moment.
“But Max is also… Jos and Max and Raymond are also people who are very straight, sometimes uncomfortably straight, and I think that’s something they will make up their mind on.
“But I think fundamentally a racing driver is calibrated to be in the best car.”
As for Mercedes’ own decision on who will replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025, Toto said:
“I think we are going to wait. We are going to wait. We have a few interesting options and the more we are able to assess how the season pans out, young drivers with us against slightly older ones, that’s not going to be a decision that we want to take in the next few weeks.
“It will be in a few months depending on where it goes,” he concluded.
