30/08/2025 11:00
Toto Wolff has disclosed what he offered to Max Verstappen in 2014
before the Dutchman ultimately signed with Red Bull. The four-time
F1 drivers' champion made his debut with Toro Rosso in 2015, after
the Mercedes team principal was unable to offer him a race seat for
that campaign. However, Wolff maintained his relationship with
Verstappen and his father, Jos. That afforded the Austrian the
opportunity to court the 65-time grand prix winner when Red Bull
began to encounter internal instability and waning performance on
track. Now that Verstappen, who is contracted to the Milton Keynes
squad through 2028, is confirmed to be staying put for next season
and Mercedes is close to finalising new deals for George Russell
and Kimi Antonelli, Wolff has reflected on how he missed out on
Verstappen the first time. "I've known Jos and Max for a long
time," the 53-year-old told Dutch media, including RacingNews365 .
"The relationship with Jos was always amicable. Same generation,
same shit upbringing, so we always had that. "I met Jos and Max in
2016 [2014]... talking about joining Mercedes, and that is what
they wanted, but we didn't have a seat because we had Nico
[Rosberg] and we had Lewis [Hamilton]. "So what I offered was a
free seat in Formula 2 and a guarantee for Formula 1 the following
year, and if we weren't able to do Formula 1, then he was free to
go. "Then Helmut [Marko] chipped in and obviously gave them the
seat." Crisis averted The relationship soured during the
ill-tempered 2021 season, when Verstappen and Hamilton fought to
the wire over the drivers' championship, in the infamous and
controversial title showdown in Abu Dhabi. However, Wolff and the
Verstappens have since reconciled, and last year the Mercedes boss
said it was a partnership that had to happen at some point in the
future. So, whilst Verstappen will not join Mercedes in 2026, the
door is still open for further down the line. "And, in a way, we
went through the ups and downs; 2021 was bad from either side,"
Wolff added. "It got out of control - the emotions take over, and
you become so obsessed with your own perceptions and perspectives
that it's difficult to see the other side. "And I think that caused
a bit of a crisis, but after a while, it settled down, and we had
that clearing conversation a year later in Singapore with Jos, and
since then, we've maintained a good relationship. "So, where does
it lead us in the future? Now I'm this naive and loyal person.
"George has been with us since he was 17. He's doing the job, he's
delivering, he's outperforming the car, in my opinion. And then we
have Kimi, and this is our long-term bet, and we just need to give
him the time to develop." Wolff went on to explain that it was
integrity that prevented Verstappen from leaving Red Bull for
Mercedes this year. "And, at the same time, Max will have his
reasons why he's staying at Red Bull," he said. "What he said is he
owes them, and it's not the first moment you can walk away when the
team doesn't perform, beyond the contract. "So I think things have
fallen in place like they are today, and who knows what happens in
the future, but the integrity that he has shown to his team, and
the integrity that I and the team have shown to our drivers, I
think that's important."
