Toto Wolff is readMercedesy to offer Max Verstappen something he refused to offer Lewis Hamilton in order to sign him for Mercedes.
Toto Wolff has made it pretty clear he wants to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes with Max Verstappen.
Getting the Dutchman to swap Red Bull for Mercedes right now may be difficult, however, given the difference in quality.
Wolff is, therefore, ready to offer Verstappen something he wouldn’t even offer Hamilton before his move to Ferrari.
The love affair between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes ended when the Brit announced his move to Ferrari for next season. With this huge gap left in Mercedes’ driver line-up, team principal Toto Wolff has made it no secret that Max Verstappen is his top replacement.
However, Wolff will have to prize Verstappen away from a Red Bull team that has won him the last three World Drivers’ Championships on the bounce. The RB19 car from last season had one of the most dominant records in F1 history, winning 19 of the 22 races on the calendar.
While Red Bull has seen a surge in success since the 2022 regulation changes, Mercedes have trended the opposite way. The Silver Arrows now sit fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, lagging 71 points behind Red Bull.
Mercedes’ Offer to Max Verstappen
They are prepared to offer Verstappen what they rejected from Hamilton
In order to draw in Verstappen, Wolff has had to resort to long-term incentives. The Mercedes honcho is willing to offer the Dutchman an ‘advertising ambassador contract,’ which would be incredibly lucrative for the three-time world champion well beyond his retirement.
This move is surprising given the fact that Mercedes REJECTED Hamilton’s request for a similar deal last year. Mercedes balked at the 10-year deal proposed by Hamilton worth £200m, according to the Daily Mail.
Verstappen became the highest-paid Formula One driver this year, as his salary climbed to £45m. This overtook Hamilton, who is being paid £40m for the 2024 season. Although wolff is also targeting red bull’s chief engineer pierre wache, which would provide some continuity for verstappen if he decided to race for the silver arrows.
despite these fiscal and performance incentives to move to mercedes in the future, verstappen is tied to a contract with red bull until 2028. the silver arrows could buy him out of this contract; however, this is highly unlikely.
would verstappen leave red bull for mercedes
verstappen could leave if red bull director helmut marko leaves, or if the car underperforms in the upcoming seasons. the former is far more likely, although it is far from a given. the duo could also consider leaving to flee from the fractious atmosphere at red bull, with chief christian horner’s personal affairs potentially impacting the environment at the racing titans, despite marko commenting that “everything is fine.”
changes could benefit the team
Although Mercedes are underperforming so far this season, the new FIA regulations set to come into force in 2026 could benefit the Silver Arrows. Wolff’s side thrived after the 2014 changes that ushered in the turbo/hybrid era, winning eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships. These new changes will impact the power unit the most, which should catapult Mercedes back to top form.
Wolff is also targeting Red Bull’s chief engineer Pierre Wache, which would provide some continuity for Verstappen if he decided to race for the Silver Arrows.
Despite these fiscal and performance incentives to move to Mercedes in the future, Verstappen is tied to a contract with Red Bull until 2028. The Silver Arrows could buy him out of this contract; however, this is highly unlikely.
Would Verstappen Leave Red Bull for Mercedes
Verstappen could leave if Red Bull director Helmut Marko leaves, or if the car underperforms in the upcoming seasons. The former is far more likely, although it is far from a given. The duo could also consider leaving to flee from the fractious atmosphere at Red Bull, with chief Christian Horner’s personal affairs potentially impacting the environment at the racing titans, despite Marko commenting that “everything is fine.”
This move to Mercedes will almost certainly not take place in time for next season, which means that Wolff will have to sort out a different, short-term replacement for the time being. More than half of the field are out of contract in 2025, meaning that the pickings should be good. This includes recent Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz Jr, who is the one being replaced by Hamilton next season at Ferrari.
It is also unlikely that many of the top drivers will sign for other teams before Hamilton’s replacement is announced. Wolff will therefore be able to use the coveted nature of the Mercedes seat to stall his decision and weigh up who his best option is.
Whoever this new driver is, they will have one of the most unstable seats in Formula One if Wolff continues his attempts to pin down Verstappen in the future.
