Max Verstappen and Mercedes, the real story of negotiation according to Toto Wolff. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff tells the story of the “flirt” with Max Verstappen.

In the weeks following Hamilton’s announcement at Ferrari, a sensational rumor spread: “Toto Wolff wants Max Verstappen at Mercedes,” was reported from several sources, but the Austrian boss chose the prodigious Antonelli. The team principal of the “Silver Arrows” recounted the supposed flirtation with the Dutch champion.

A Red Bull in the eye of the storm after the Horner case was beginning to face a complicated technical period. The tensions between boss Horner and Jos Verstappen had reached historic highs, and at the same time, Mercedes was looking to the market for Lewis Hamilton’s successor, who was already promised to Ferrari. Amid this web of situations, the sensational rumor of Max Verstappen at Mercedes emerged, an operation conducted and wanted by Toto Wolff.

The flirtation between Mercedes and Verstappen: Toto Wolff explains
But the marriage wasn’t meant to be. The team principal of the Anglo-German team explained to AMuS microphones that the “flirt” with the Dutchman never went beyond simple banter: “We always talked, keeping every possibility open. But there was never a plan to hire Verstappen.”

Toto Wolff recalled the events that led to the outcome we know. “At some point, Max said he wanted to stay where he was because it felt like the right choice. I replied that we would choose Kimi because, for us, it was also the right decision to make.”

In response to Max Verstappen’s declaration of loyalty to his team, Toto Wolff chose to promote his own academy’s diamond. Kimi Antonelli, together with George Russell, will lead a Mercedes team looking for the former glory lost in recent seasons. In the neighboring garages, Max Verstappen will be tasked with defending his world title with a car that no longer appears as sharp as it once was, within a team often overwhelmed by rumors and tensions. The first “flirt” between Toto Wolff and Max Verstappen ended prematurely, but who knows if the spark could reignite in the future. “The best driver always wants the best car. And that’s our job, to create the best possible package,” said Mercedes CEO Källenius.