P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Toto Wolff has explained how he lost out on signing Max Verstappen a decade ago, how his relationship with Jos Verstappen has fared since, and why the Dutchman is staying with Red Bull.
Toto Wolff revealed that he offered Max Verstappen a deal in 2014 before Verstappen decided to sign with Red Bull instead of Mercedes. Even though Mercedes couldn’t offer him a race seat for the season, Wolff stayed in touch with Verstappen and his father, Jos. This connection allowed Wolff to try to court Verstappen when Red Bull faced internal issues and a decline in performance. Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Wolff mentioned that he proposed a free Formula 2 seat with a guaranteed Formula 1 seat the following year. Ultimately, Helmut Marko from Red Bull intervened and offered Verstappen a seat, solidifying his decision to join the Milton Keynes squad for the long term.
