22/05/2025 07:25
Max Verstappen has revealed details of the conversations he held
with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff last year. Wolff publicly
pursued Verstappen's signature in 2024 amid unrest at the Red Bull
team, as he searched to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton. The
Austrian has since cooled his interest and has signalled his intent
to retain George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli into 2026.
Verstappen was once a major rival of Mercedes, as he endured a
fierce rivalry with Lewis Hamilton in 2021 when they battled for
the championship. The conversation that took place last year
between Verstappen and Wolff mended the scars of the brutal title
scrap. "I think it was our first real conversation since 2021,"
Verstappen revealed to De Telegraaf . "We corrected a few things
from that year." Verstappen also suggested the talks did not solely
relate to establishing a partnership in F1, hinting a future
collaboration could come away from the series. "We also talked a
little bit about the future perspective," Verstappen said. "But for
me it's not just about F1. I do a lot of things with Red Bull.
"Everyone always thinks that decisions about my future are purely
based on what's going on here in this world, but I'm working on a
lot more. "There's more than 'project F1'. That's not something
that every team can just offer."
