Wolff: Mercedes could be an alternative for Max

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff gave an interview to Austrian OE24, in which he discussed in detail the latest events at Red Bull Racing and the possibility that Max Verstappen and other leading specialists from the championship team would move to Brackley.

Question: What can you say about the daily soap opera at Red Bull?
Toto Wolff: For us outside observers, there’s a lot of drama in store. But for a team like Red Bull there is little good in such a situation.

Q: Are you surprised by the turn the Horner case is taking?
Toto Wolff: No, because we live in a very transparent world. If nothing is said, the situation will only become more strange, leading to many questions, stories and speculations.

Question: Why is Red Bull unwilling to draw the line and be more transparent?
Toto Wolff: There’s a real story behind all of this, and that’s very important. Why did a woman who felt uncomfortable go to the HR department? Why hasn’t anyone talked about this? Red Bull uses a certain information strategy, which looks confusing from the outside.

Q: Do you have an explanation for why their strategy is confusing?
Toto Wolff: I believe that professionals work in the Austrian office, and in England they try to keep quiet about the problem, but nowadays this is no longer possible.

Question: What do you think of Gerhard Berger’s theory that Horner will stay with the team, Helmut Marko and Adrian Newey will leave and Max Verstappen will move to Mercedes?
Toto Wolff: My answer to this is that if Horner stays, several exciting scenarios are possible. Ultimately, it’s all about Horner’s personality. But I only know about the situation at Red Bull what I read in the press.

Question: But you have already indicated that you would like to see Max in Mercedes…
Toto Wolff: Every team would love to see Max on their roster. This makes sense because he is the strongest racer! But like I said, every racer strives to be behind the wheel of the fastest car. Therefore, we must ensure in advance that our machine is efficient. A switch to Mercedes could therefore be a real alternative for Max.

Question: Can you imagine Newey joining you with Max?
Toto Wolff: In the current situation everything is possible, so I don’t rule anything out. We have a great team of engineers that I feel comfortable with and we communicate 100% effectively, even if the lap times don’t reflect that at the moment.

Question: Could your favorite enemy Helmut Marko end up in Mercedes?
Toto Wolff: It’s all about Max and his views. I don’t know enough about Marco and Max’s relationship to judge how important Helmut really is to Max.

Question: Before the stage in Saudi Arabia, photos appeared of you discussing something with Jos Verstappen. What was that conversation about?
Toto Wolff: Nothing special. I congratulated him on his victory. Yos and I were born in the same year [1972]and we have had a good relationship for years.

Question: After Lewis Hamilton leaves Mercedes, do you still have a budget for the Max?
Toto Wolff: In every career there are times when you want or need to try something new. So I have no hard feelings when it comes to Lewis. I was only surprised by the timing of the transfer announcement as the season had not started yet.

But as it turns out, this is even to our advantage. Unlike us, Ferrari and Mercedes signed the contracts early and there will be no vacancies in the coming years.

Question: What do you think of the theory that Verstappen will give up the title challenge in 2025 to spend this season with Mercedes and prepare with the team for 2026, when the new regulations come into effect?
Toto Wolff: New regulations will be introduced in 2026, and the most important changes concern the engine. This gives us the opportunity to achieve the same result as in 2014. If the rider can participate in advance, this is of course an advantage.

Question: Is there a possibility that Fernando Alonso will come to you? Or will young Kimi Antonelli get a chance?
Toto Wolff: I am not making any commitments at this time and will keep the position vacant as long as possible.

Question: Didn’t Oliver Berman show what young riders are capable of in Saudi Arabia?
Toto Wolff: Berman has done a great job, but the younger generation is generally very strong. Kimi is for me the most striking of the young pilots. Modern Formula 1 cars are easier to drive because, unlike Formula 2, they are equipped with power steering. This makes the work less stressful.

Question: After the first two races, would you like to bet that Red Bull will win all the races this year?
Toto Wolff: At least I hope that won’t happen!