Max Verstappen told he'd be 'stupid' to accept Toto Wolff's Mercedes offer
Max Verstappen's Red Bull future is in doubt after interest from Mercedes
Max Verstappen has been warned that it would be a “stupid move” to leave Red Bull for Mercedes with the Dutchman’s future increasingly in doubt. The three-time world champion hinted that the door was open for a switch to the Silver Arrows in the future, potentially replacing the outgoing Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is in prime position to pounce if Verstappen is prepared to leave Red Bull. The chaos surrounding Christian Horner has prompted uncertainty over Verstappen, Helmut Marko and Adrian Newey with Thai team owner Chalerm Yoovidhya set to take a more active role.
Wolff met with Verstappen’s father Jos at the Bahrain Grand Prix and openly discussed his desire to bring the Red Bull man over to Mercedes. He has a contract with Horner’s outfit until 2028, though it includes a break clause secretly added by Marko, which may allow Mercedes to tempt him away.
But ex-Ferrari driver Giancarlo Fisichella believes that Verstappen would be making a mistake in leaving Red Bull, despite their current turmoil. He has won the opening two races of the 2024 season at a canter and early signs suggest that Verstappen is set to repeat his dominant performance from last year.
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“Anything is possible in Formula 1 and in life, you just never know,” Fisichella told OCB Scores. “Nobody expected to see Lewis Hamilton moving from Mercedes and especially closing the deal with Ferrari. Nobody expected that.
“But we don’t know if Max will join Mercedes, next year or in the future. In the place where he is now with the best team and the best car, it’s (a) stupid move to another team. The salary is good at Red Bull and it could be the same or even more in Mercedes, so who knows? But you’ve got a winning car, you are at the top of the world at the moment – why move to another team?”
Verstappen coasted to victory in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia while Mercedes are planning to make fundamental changes to their W15 vehicle following complaints made by Hamilton. Wolff’s outfit will hope that the 2026 regulation changes propel them close to Red Bull, potentially with Verstappen in the cockpit after hinting at a possible exit.
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Verstappen claimed that Hamilton’s surprise move to Ferrari is proof that the unexpected can occur in F1 when asked about his own future despite warnings against leaving Red Bull. “The thing is I think no one would have ever seen that Lewis would move to Ferrari,” he said in Jeddah.
“In my life – and it’s not related to F1 or whatever, it’s just general life – you never know what happens or what comes to you or whatever happens around you or what might influence you.
“So you can never say 100 per cent that’s how it’s going to be and I approach my life like that. But I also don’t think about it too much. I’m very relaxed, I’m very happy at the team, the performance is there – there’s no reason to move on.”