Toto Wolff believes that Mercedes could offer Max Verstappen the same environment that the driver enjoys at Red Bull, despite the special position that the four-time Formula 1 champion has in the Austrian team.
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During the Dutch GP weekend, it became clear that the partnership between the Dutchman and the German team will not happen for now, as the four-time champion renewed his contract with the Milton Keynes team until the 2030 season.
Rumors indicated that Mercedes was approaching Verstappen, although Wolff said it was all unfounded – however, he also emphasized that he would not be afraid to pair him with Kimi Antonelli.
Speaking about a possible move to the German team, the Austrian executive highlighted that Max would not have an environment so different from Red Bull, which was “built around the four-time champion.” “Well, that didn’t happen, so that’s not the case. But I believe the mentality I described earlier, when a great driver joins a great team, and vice versa, requires the dynamic to work,” he said.
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“I would never be afraid to work with a driver who has spent a lot of time in another structure or who is seen as someone difficult,” he clarified.
“All these things certainly play a role, but I also believe we could have managed the situation that was different. Remember Alonso, where he didn’t expect Alonso to be so fast, and then almost broke the team. But I don’t think that was the situation that would have been a situation with us,” he continued.
“I think we could have accommodated that. So it was more about, you know, we felt that when it comes to the World Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships, we have two irons in the fire. And maybe if it hadn’t worked out with one or the other teammate,” he concluded.
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