Toto Wolff has elaborated on Max Verstappen’s contract extension. One of the reasons often cited for the continued collaboration between the Dutch driver and Red Bull is the freedom Verstappen enjoys at the Austrian team. For example, he can participate in GT races alongside Formula 1. According to Wolff, Verstappen could have had this freedom at Mercedes as well. The Austrian team principal then illustrates this promise with a story about Lewis Hamilton: “He was traveling around the world just before the Singapore GP for his Tommy Hilfiger collection.”
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Max Verstappen has often been linked in recent years to a possible move to Mercedes. The rumors were not entirely baseless; Verstappen met Toto Wolff several times during holidays in Sardinia. Yet the Dutch world champion decided to stay with Red Bull. He extended his contract until 2030 just before the Dutch GP.
One of the frequently mentioned reasons for the extension with the Austrians is reportedly the freedom Verstappen enjoys at Red Bull. For example, the driver can participate in GT races alongside his Formula 1 commitments and runs his own racing team. According to Wolff, however, Verstappen could have had that freedom at Mercedes as well.
The Austrian team principal explains how he takes a personal approach with every Mercedes driver. “Every team is different. I think I try to find out what makes a driver fast within our structure. What framework do we need to provide to get the best out of the driver? And part of that is obviously well-being,” he says during the session for the Dutch media at Zandvoort. “That is something I value highly. I have never put drivers in a box and said: ‘This is how you have to be.’”
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Lewis Hamilton
Wolff immediately illustrates his statements with an example of Lewis Hamilton. The Brit drove for the Silver Arrows between 2013 and 2024. “I remember Lewis Hamilton with his fashion collection from back then. There was that race at Silverstone in 2017, 2018, or 2019, where he launched his Tommy Hilfiger collection. He had a fashion show in Hong Kong, where he let us know via FaceTime that he was grateful that Mercedes had switched from Boss to Hilfiger so he could launch his own collection. And then he flew from Hong Kong to Los Angeles. Niki (Lauda, former Mercedes advisor, ed.) said to me at the time: ‘I don’t understand why we allow this. We race next week in Singapore.’”
Because Hamilton also had to stop by New York and London, it was very questionable whether he would be on time for preparations for the Singapore GP. “I then said to him: ‘Do me a favor. I’m already getting enough criticism here because you travel the world in trendy clothes,’” Wolff continued. However, the Austrian team principal was fine with taking the criticism as long as Hamilton did not disappoint during the race weekend.
The latter the Brit certainly did not do. “This was when he had that incredible pole position, that sensational lap, and he won the race while disappearing into the distance, and after the race he said: ‘That was a good deal, right?’ And Niki then said to me: ‘I will never criticize again, even if he flies to the moon for a Grand Prix.’“
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