Toto Wolff has admitted Max Verstappen will not join Mercedes in 2025 but revealed he would be interested in signing the Red Bull driver in 2026 after holding talks with Verstappen's camp in the summer.
Since Lewis Hamilton decided to move to Ferrari next year, Mercedes team boss Wolff has been publicly courting world champion Verstappen throughout the season.
With the season set to resume with this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, Wolff said he had discussions with Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen and his father Joss over the summer break.
“I thought there was a window or a possibility all year round, it's not like there wasn't any,” Wolf told a group of Dutch journalists in Zandvoort.
“It's still a pretty rough ride, not just in terms of performance, but also because of the interpersonal issues we all know.
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Wolff addressed rumours earlier this season that Verstappen could potentially join Mercedes.
“But, I've been with Jos my whole life. But maybe it's because we're a little bit similar. So I thought the door wasn't completely closed.
“What were the odds of that happening? It was probably 10 to 1. It was probably 9 to 1. We didn't want to give up, but in the summer we came to the conclusion that we shouldn't wait for something to happen for 2025, we should just keep doing our job. We'll make our own driver decisions with Max at Red Bull and at Mercedes.
“And it was kind of a communal idea.”
Wolff drops important hints about Antonelli
Wolff's comments suggest Mercedes will now sign Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli to partner George Russell next season.
There has been growing speculation that Antonelli, who turns 18 on Sunday, could replace Hamilton, and Wolff fuelled that speculation on Friday when he briefly mentioned Russell and the Italian in his 2025 line-up.
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Kimi Antonelli secured an impressive maiden F2 feature race win at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
“Very soon, we will find out who is in the second seat. And what I also said is that the two drivers in the car have our full support, 100 percent,” Wolf said.
“So I'm going into the 2025 season with two drivers and they'll be given every opportunity.
“So I don't want to talk about the 2026 driver lineup at that point. I want to work with George and Kimi.”
Wolff 'feels' Verstappen and Mercedes' paths will cross
Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, but driver and team principal Christian Horner have made comments this year suggesting he could leave earlier.
Red Bull have dominated since the sport's design rules changed in 2022, but Mercedes are confident they can get back to winning ways under the new rules that come into effect for the 2026 season.
Wolff has made it clear that while he respects Russell and his hypothetical 2025 team-mate Antonelli, he wants to keep the option open to signing Verstappen in the future.
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Verstappen said it came as no surprise to him that Red Bull was working at a slower pace.
“What I like about Max, Raymond and Joss is that we talk openly. We don’t have to push each other. We’ve been doing this for so long. We’ve made a decision about who our drivers are for next year. That’s where all our effort goes,” he added.
“Hopefully, that's the lineup for 2026 and beyond. But that doesn't mean that Max is out of the question for 2026 and beyond, because we want to keep all our options open in the same way that he does. So what I enjoyed about the conversation was that there was never any hidden agenda.
“I have a feeling that (Mercedes and Verstappen's paths will cross) somehow. But I don't know when. Maybe in 26 years, maybe in three years, I don't know yet.”
Horner: Max could never join Mercedes
Tell to ~ Sky Sports News Earlier on Friday, Horner insisted Verstappen was “not available” for Mercedes next season.
“The situation is, as we've said all year, we know what Max's contract is, and Max knows what his contract is with us, and he's not going to be playing for Mercedes in 2025,” Horner said.
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Christian Horner has said Verstappen was never offered to Mercedes after the team showed interest in the driver for the 2025 season.
“He never did that. So whatever option they choose, I'm sure they thought it through carefully.”
Horner, who promoted Verstappen to Red Bull's first team at the age of 18, said he would be willing to give his rival Wolfsburg credit if he were to select Antonelli.
He added: “If they decided to give Antonelli a seat, they should be commended for taking a risk by bringing in a young player.”
Dutch GP live schedule on Sky Sports F1
Saturday, August 24th
10:15am: Dutch GP Practice 3 (session starts at 10:30am)
1pm: Dutch GP qualifying preparation
2pm: Dutch GP Qualifying
4pm: F1 Academy: Race 1
Sunday, August 25th
9:40am: F1 Academy: Race 2
12:30 p.m.: Grand Prix Sunday: Dutch GP Preparation
2pm: Dutch Grand Prix
4pm: Checked Flag: Dutch GP Reaction
Formula 1 is back after the summer break. Watch the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort this weekend live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month membership. Cancel anytime, no contract.
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