Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is open to a future collaboration with Max Verstappen in his team. Rumors about a move to the Silver Arrows for the Dutch world champion have surfaced more frequently in recent years. According to Wolff, however, it is still too early to put Verstappen together with Andrea Kimi Antonelli in one team: ‘But it’s not like I’m afraid of it.’
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For months, the rumor mill has been running overtime about Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future. The Dutchman was previously linked to McLaren and even a driver swap with Oscar Piastri. But the rumors about a Mercedes switch – which have been sparked in recent years by Toto Wolff’s charm offensive – have not completely disappeared yet.
Although the Mercedes team boss has repeatedly said he wants to continue for now with Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell as drivers for his team, he does not rule out a future collaboration with Verstappen. “You have to give Kimi time to develop,” he told Sky Sports Deutschland. “Max is now at his peak. He can do everything. The two respect each other. They come from different generations, but if you put them both in the same team, of course, a totally different situation arises.”
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No second Silver War
However, Wolff does not expect a repeat of the Silver War at Mercedes, when teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fought fiercely for the world title. “It’s not like I’m afraid of it (putting Antonelli and Verstappen together, ed), I’ve experienced worse with Rosberg and Hamilton,” he continued. “I would probably handle it better today. We are not afraid to have them both in the same team at some point.”
Still, the Austrian emphasized that he is satisfied with the current driver lineup of the team. “But in the current situation, we are happy with the dynamic between Kimi and George. As a team, we have made great progress. Adding another variable now would not be good for our long-term development.”
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