Toto Wolff has changed his mind about signing Max Verstappen after 2020 ‘loyalty’ comment

Max Verstappen is searching for his fifth consecutive title with Red Bull in 2025, but his future with the team is in doubt.

The Dutchman has been almost unstoppable over the last few years as he has won the last four championships – 2022 and 2023 being complete domination.

Verstappen saw a bigger challenge in 2024 through McLaren and Lando Norris, but despite their resurgence in form, it was not enough to stop the Red Bull driver from claiming the title by 63 points.

However, Red Bull’s regression in performance was clear to see as they head into this season without the fastest package after McLaren and Ferrari made huge strides forward.

Their dip in performance has led to rumours that Red Bull could lose their star driver, despite Verstappen being contracted until 2028. It has been reported that Verstappen could leave before the 2026 technical regulations come into effect if he is unsatisfied with what he is seeing in Milton Keynes.

Red Bull will have their own power units in 2026 in collaboration with Ford after parting ways with Honda. Robert Doornbos thinks Verstappen will want to be with a ‘major manufacturer’ in 2026, casting doubt over the performance of the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s engine.

Toto Wolff’s stance on signing Max Verstappen has changed after his 2020 comments about respecting his ‘loyalty’

Mercedes have been heavily touted as the 27-year-old’s likely destination if he is to leave Red Bull. Verstappen’s camp have held talks with Toto Wolff but may have parked them due to the title challenge from Norris in 2024.

While Andrea Kimi Antonelli was always the realistic option to race for Mercedes in 2025 alongside George Russell, it is clear the Silver Arrows are interested in bringing in Verstappen if he is available.

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This marks a change of mind from Wolff following his comments back in 2020 when he was asked about bringing the Dutchman to the team.

The Austrian stated via the Beyond The Grid Podcast that Verstappen didn’t ‘provide any opportunity’ for Mercedes given they already had Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas and that he respected the Red Bull driver’s ‘loyalty’.

“Valtteri does a great job for us and Lewis does a great job for us and they are still at the peak of their performance levels. Then we have juniors that are coming up that have been with us for many years and could be the future for us. So, this is what we look at.

“And the situation around Max doesn’t provide any opportunity now. He is bound to Red Bull, I respect his loyalty a lot.

“I think it’s important for Red Bull to have Max. There’s a lot of narrative around that and Red Bull picked him up from very early when he joined Toro Rosso.

“So, the situation is what it is and it’s good for him and good for us.”

Could Max Verstappen leave Red Bull before his contract expires?

As aforementioned, Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season. But the Dutchman could force an exit if the team fails to deliver in 2025 and beyond.

Russell is out of contract at Mercedes at the end of the year. If Verstappen becomes disgruntled by the performance of the Red Bull, the Silver Arrows will certainly not hesitate to reignite discussions with the four-time champion.

Aston Martin have also been linked with signing Verstappen after they acquired the services of Adrian Newey from Red Bull. The legendary engineer will design the team’s cars when he joins in the second quarter of 2025.

Furthermore, Aston Martin will run Honda engines come 2026, making a reunion with the Japanese manufacturer and Newey attractive for Verstappen if he sees his future away from Red Bull.