Wolff draws the curtain on Verstappen chase: 'No flirting outside'
10/04/2024 10:11 AM
Toto Wolff says Mercedes' courtship of Max Verstappen has ended, insisting the team's commitment is now to its future line-up that will consist of George Russell and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Earlier this year, with Lewis Hamilton's departure from Mercedes looming, Wolff engaged in talks with the Verstappen camp, hoping to lure the Red Bull star to the Brackley squad, despite the Dutchman's current contract with running until the end of 2027
Wolff's interest in Verstappen was initially sparked by the turbulence that seized Red Bull at the start of the season in the wake of the controversies surrounding team boss Christian Horner which threatened the team's stability and competitiveness.
Yet, as talks between Wolff and the Verstappen family failed to gain traction over the summer and Antonelli's progress in testing impressed the Mercedes hierarchy, the team's focus shifted away from Verstappen.
With Mercedes' line-up now set in stone for 2025 and well beyond, Wolff sees no need to keep the channels open with Verstappen.
"We're sitting back," the Austrian told Motorsport.com.
"I think I've expressed it before, and we have a similar view also from Max's side: you've got to put faith in your drivers or in your team.
"You need to give it the maximum support you can to make it a success. And only if things go really wrong, you will consider other opportunities."
Wolff drew an analogy between managing a driver line-up and maintaining a relationship, emphasizing the importance of staying committed to the drivers already in the team.
"For me, it's like flirting outside while you're making your relationship work. It doesn't work, I'm not flirting outside," he added.
"Only if I want to have a change, or consider a change, I would seek a conversation. And it is the same on its side. "We're pretty aligned in our values on that I think."
While Verstappen's name has been ruled out, the future of George Russell has been a point of interest in the paddock.
Red Bull has been linked to Russell as a potential target when his current contract with Mercedes expires at the end of 2025. However, Wolff remains confident that the Briton will continue to play a key role in the German outfit's long-term plans.
"George has a similar trajectory in terms of karting and junior formula, and George was the first Mercedes junior that joined us," added Wolff. "He's still our Mercedes driver.
"We don't make a big difference [between him and Antonelli]. Emotionally, we give them the same support. Nothing changes."
Wolff believes Russell is well-equipped to handle competition coming from the other side of the Mercedes garage, having spent three years racing alongside a seven-time world champion. Hamilton.
©Mercedes
"Every top driver in F1 knows that he needs to compete against their team-mate, whether he's young or old," Wolff commented.
"George's team-mate has been Lewis Hamilton, the greatest driver of all time, for three years.
"So he will be just fine competing against one of the youngest, who comes in with great expectations."
Mercedes has made a clear choice. With a promising young talent in Antonelli and a proven talent in Russell, they're confident in their future.
The chase for Verstappen is over, for now. The focus now turns on building a team for the long haul.
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