Red Bull chief’s blunt response to question on Max Verstappen potentially moving to Mercedes - “Ask Toto Wolff”

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko addressed rumors about Max Verstappen's potential move to Mercedes, saying that one needs to ask the German team's boss Toto Wolff about it.

Red Bull has been surrounded by a whirlwind of controversies ever since Christian Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior by a female employee and underwent an internal investigation. The situation worsened when an anonymous email leaked alleged messages shared between Horner and the employee.

Amid all the chaos, rumors about Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull emerged, particularly after his father, Jos Verstappen, publicly criticized Christian Horner. Whispers about him moving to Mercedes sparked when Jos met with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff after the Bahrain GP.

Since Lewis Hamilton would leave the Silver Arrows and move to Ferrari in 2025, the eight-time world champions need to find a suitable driver to hire before 2024. Hence, rumors about Verstappen moving to Mercedes have caught even more attention.

Austrian publication OE24 asked Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko about the rumors of him moving to the rival team. To this, the 80-year-old simply replied that the media house would have to ask this question to Toto Wolff.

“You have to ask Toto Wolff…,” Marko said.

As of now, Max Verstappen remains in Red Bull and continues to dominate the grid in the 2024 F1 season.

---

Max Verstappen addresses rumors of him leaving Red Bull for Mercedes

Max Verstappen himself addressed rumors about him joining Mercedes in the future amid the Christian Horner-Red Bull saga.

Speaking to De Limburger, the Dutchman stated that he understands Mercedes' urge to hire him. He also touched on Red Bull and Mercedes rivalry that peaked in 2021 and said that it was in the past. However, he stated that he does not feel he should be driving for any other team apart from Red Bull.

"They [Mercedes] want me in that car, I understand that. Look: a few years ago there was of course a little more tension between us and Mercedes... But that can all be forgiven and forgotten. That's true on both sides. But that doesn't mean I think I should be driving somewhere else right now," Verstappen said.

After a poor race in Australia where he was forced to retire due to brake failure on his RB20, Max Verstappen recently took the pole position at the 2024 F1 Japanese GP.