Ralf Schumacher reveals: Mercedes made a (low) offer to Verstappen
The former German Formula 1 driver has claimed that Toto Wolff may already have made his move for Max Verstappen, although the details of the reported proposal suggest Mercedes was far from all-in on securing the Dutchman’s signature.
Verstappen has an exit clause ready to be activated
Max Verstappen remains under contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 Formula 1 season, but the agreement is reportedly far from watertight. Several exit clauses are believed to be included in the contract, potentially allowing the Dutch driver to leave before its scheduled expiration.
One of those clauses could become particularly significant this year. According to reports, Verstappen would have the option to leave Red Bull at the end of the season if he is not at least second in the Drivers’ Championship by the summer break.
At present, Max Verstappen sits seventh in the standings with 55 points, 60 points behind the driver currently occupying second place, Lewis Hamilton. As a result, the possibility of triggering that clause is far from unrealistic.
It also emerged in recent days that Verstappen recently met with Red Bull management but did not provide any guarantees regarding his future beyond 2026. Behind the scenes, sources close to the team suggest that this uncertainty is already affecting Red Bull’s ability to attract new personnel and sponsors.
After all, there is a substantial difference between a Red Bull team built around Max Verstappen and a Red Bull operation attempting to move forward without its four-time world champion.
Wolff makes his move, but is he fully convinced?
Against this backdrop, comments made by Ralf Schumacher during Sky Deutschland’s “Backstage Boxengasse” podcast have attracted considerable attention, as the former Williams driver shared what he described as important paddock rumours regarding the driver market.
“There is no room for Max at Ferrari, but we have heard reports that Toto Wolff made him an offer in private,” said the former German driver.
The Mercedes-Verstappen connection has been discussed for years, but what makes Schumacher’s comments particularly interesting are the details he provided about the alleged proposal: “Apparently, the offer was so unattractive financially that it was not even a realistic option,” Schumacher added.
Reading between the lines of his comments, the offer made by Toto Wolff may have been little more than what could be described as a courtesy approach rather than a serious attempt to lure Verstappen away from Red Bull.
“I think it was intentional, because why would Toto Wolff want to sign an extremely expensive Max Verstappen to partner Kimi Antonelli, who is the future superstar of Formula 1? It would make absolutely no sense to put Kimi at risk,” Ralf Schumacher explained.
The remarks suggest that Mercedes may view Andrea Kimi Antonelli as a central pillar of its long-term future, making the prospect of pairing him with one of the most dominant drivers of the modern era less appealing than many might assume.
According to paddock rumours, Max Verstappen’s current salary is believed to be close to €70 million per season. By comparison, the combined salaries of Mercedes’ current driver lineup reportedly total around €35 million, with George Russell earning approximately €24 million and Andrea Kimi Antonelli receiving around €11.5 million.
If those figures are accurate, matching Verstappen’s financial demands would require Mercedes to make a significant commitment, raising further questions about whether Toto Wolff’s reported offer was ever intended to be a genuine attempt to secure the Dutchman’s services.
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