Toto Wolff has made it no secret that he is keen on signing Max Verstappen as he has openly expressed his admiration for the Dutch driver on multiple occasions, fueling speculation about the 26-year-old’s future. Now, Verstappen has opened up about his situation with Red Bull and his mindset regarding a new contract.
Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028 and has made it clear that he is in no rush to negotiate an extension. For now, Verstappen seems content with waiting to see how Red Bull performs under the upcoming new regulations in 2026 before making any decisions about his future.
“I’m not thinking about a new contract. Just want to see how it goes – also with the new regulations, see if they are fun,” Verstappen mentioned during Thursday’s drivers’ conference ahead of his home Grand Prix.
“I want to see the new regulations, if it’s fun or not”
Max on what it would take to stay in F1 beyond his 2028 contract with Red Bull pic.twitter.com/Crlk4byP9v
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) August 22, 2024
Mercedes is expected to be a strong contender under the 2026 regulations of Formula 1, particularly given their history in producing successful power units which allowed them to dominate for so long since the start of the turbo-hybrid era. Come 2026, this makes Mercedes an attractive option for any driver, including Verstappen.
The Dutchman’s reluctance to commit to Red Bull beyond 2028 could be due to his expectations that Mercedes will once again dominate in a few years’ time. If that is the case, it would be the perfect time for him to make the switch.
Wolff is stuck in choosing between Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli
Since Mercedes is perhaps still hopeful of signing Verstappen, they have not yet confirmed Lewis Hamilton’s replacement for 2025. Over the past few days, several reports have claimed that the Silver Arrows have unofficially already signed an agreement with Antonelli.
Reports suggest that Wolff is holding off on confirming Antonelli because he is determined to pursue Verstappen until the last moment. Interestingly, Hamilton himself hasn’t ruled out the possibility of Verstappen joining Mercedes.
Before the 2024 season started, the Briton made a bold move by signing with Ferrari, and he believes that anything is possible when it comes to the prospect of Verstappen moving to Mercedes.
#SaudiArabianGP | Lewis Hamilton on wether Max Verstappen could really replace him: “My move has shown anything is possible. There’s going to be a really interesting next six months or so.”
“I don’t have an extra scoop.. I’m sure Max is on the list. But I couldn’t see why he’d…
— deni (@fiagirly) March 6, 2024
“My move has shown that anything’s possible, and it’s going to be a really interesting next six months or so,” Hamilton remarked ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
