Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, recently shared his perspectives on Max Verstappen’s racing career and the team’s future during a media session at Zandvoort. Known for his candid remarks, Wolff has a history of making headlines during these annual gatherings with Dutch journalists.
Two years ago, Wolff hinted at Kimi Antonelli’s impending promotion to Formula 1, a move that was officially announced a week later at Monza. Last year, he openly discussed potential talks with Verstappen about joining Mercedes, sparking widespread interest. Wolff also humorously addressed the circulation of AI-generated images featuring himself and Verstappen, including some explicit deepfakes.
Verstappen’s GT Racing and Mercedes’ Collaboration
Wolff delved into Verstappen’s recent Red Bull contract extension, noting that the likelihood of Verstappen joining Mercedes was higher last year than in recent months. He emphasized that their paths have already crossed through their joint GT racing program, which began a year and a half ago.
“The paths have crossed already with the GT racing,” Wolff stated. “When we jointly developed that program, it seemed like a long shot. Could Red Bull ever allow Max in a Mercedes GT3? But they were open-minded, and we are thankful for that. The project has been a success, the Red Bull Mercedes project. We have this joint cooperation between the two brands and Max, and it is nice to see that it’s successful.”
Wolff playfully remarked that Mercedes gets Verstappen for what he considers the “real hero races”—endurance events on the Nordschleife, with the Nurburgring 24 Hours being the pinnacle. “You know, we have these things here in F1 with massive gravel traps and flat run-off zones. The real racing is where you go through the trees and up and downs over crests and blind corners. And against the Dacia!”
Wolff was referring to Olli’s Garage Racing, which competes with a Dacia Logan in the iconic 24-hour race in the Green Hell. He even suggested that Mercedes should invite the Dacia crew to an actual F1 Grand Prix, calling them “heroes.” Wolff enjoys seeing Verstappen behind the wheel of the Winward Mercedes-AMG GT3, especially in the challenging conditions of the Nordschleife.
The Future of Verstappen and Mercedes
When asked if Verstappen and Wolff’s paths will ever cross in Formula 1, Wolff remained uncertain, noting the unpredictability of the driver market in the coming years. “And what the future holds, I don’t know, but the mindset is what I have just said. I don’t know where the paths are going to cross. Will it be in karting, will it be in GTs, or will it be in F1 or some other joint projects in the future?”
Wolff acknowledged that while Verstappen driving for Mercedes in F1 is not necessarily on the horizon, the team already has its star of the future in Kimi Antonelli. He also reflected on whether Verstappen would receive the same freedom to pursue outside racing projects at another F1 team. “I think every team is different, but I think what I am trying to do is to identify what it is that makes the driver fast within our structure.”
Wolff emphasized the importance of providing a framework that extracts the best performance from the driver, highlighting the significance of well-being in achieving this goal. “What kind of framework do we need to provide to extract the best performance of the driver, and part of that is obviously the well-being. And that is something that I am very keen on as well.”
George Russell’s Confidence in His Mercedes Seat
George Russell, Mercedes’ current driver, has declared that his seat at the team “never felt under threat” despite speculation about Verstappen’s potential move. Russell is in the midst of his best chance to challenge for the Drivers’ Championship since joining Mercedes in 2026. Despite links to other teams, Verstappen confirmed his commitment to Red Bull until the end of 2030.
Russell stated, “It was always very clear from within Mercedes what the reality was over these past couple of years. Maybe those conversations were slightly more public than the conversations his team had with the likes of McLaren or Ferrari or whoever else it may have been. That’s just the nature of the sport. Drivers talk with different teams, teams talk with different drivers. Everyone has to just see what their cards are. My seat never felt under threat, and I felt 100% security with Toto and the team and that obviously now continues.”
Wolff confirmed earlier this year that Mercedes does not want to change its driver lineup of Russell and Antonelli, who currently leads the standings with a significant advantage. Russell is focused on improving his performance and recovering lost ground as the season progresses.
“I think every race weekend now is going to be very important and you want to build that momentum,” Russell added. “Obviously, we’ve got a number of triple headers coming into the last part of the year. We’re only just at the halfway point. So, yeah, just continue to keep working.”
Russell is determined to shake off recent issues and improve his performance, trusting in his ability and driving more instinctively. As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on Mercedes and their strategic vision for the future.
