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Toto Wolff admits Max Verstappen is a driver he would “love to have” at Mercedes next season but believes he needs to improve the car on offer to attract the three-time world champion. Verstappen’s…
Toto Wolff expressed his admiration for Max Verstappen and mentioned that he would love to have him at Mercedes in the upcoming season, acknowledging the need to enhance their car performance to attract the three-time world champion. Verstappen’s future at Red Bull has been questioned due to conflicts within the team, with him indicating his support for Helmut Marko and suggesting his decision could be influenced by Marko’s presence. Although Wolff is eager to sign Verstappen, he emphasized the importance of first improving their car to support their current drivers, George and Lewis, before thinking about next year.
Despite Mercedes’ recent struggles with two fifth-place finishes, Wolff believes that Verstappen might prefer to stay at Red Bull due to their current dominance on the track, although there might be concerns from his management team regarding off-track issues. The possibility of Verstappen joining Mercedes in 2025, following Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, has sparked interest, but Wolff is taking a cautious approach and planning to evaluate the driver market developments before making any decisions.