F1 rival boss still hopeful of signing Max Verstappen from arch-rivals Red Bull

With a string of underwhelming performances in recent races, rumors of Max Verstappen splitting with Red Bull Racing have been circulating in the Formula 1 paddock. Although the Dutchman has publicly dismissed rumors of a team change, Mercedes-AMG's Toto Wolff remains hopeful of luring the triple world champion to his team.

Although Verstappen is leading the driver's championship by a margin of 78 points, he has endured a challenging period, securing only one victory (Spain) and a single podium (Great Britain) in the last five races. This has likely caused a rift between the world champion and the Austrian team. Following a fifth-place finish at the Hungaroring, Verstappen openly criticized Red Bull's car setup and strategy, highlighting a growing rift within the championship-winning outfit.

With rumors of a split doing the rounds, several teams are attempting to negotiate with Verstappen. Leading the charge has been Mercedes' team principal, Toto Wolff. While the German outfit has been linked to F2 star Andrea Kimi Antonelli as a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton in 2025, Wolff remains focused on building a strong relationship with Verstappen as he looks to entice the young Dutchman to switch teams.

Wolff's desire was shared by senior journalist Tom Clarkson on the F1 Nation podcast. The same was shared by PlanetF1 via an X post, captioned:

Toto Wolff is not “completely giving up” on signing Max Verstappen to Mercedes for F1 2025, claims Tom Clarkson.

"There is still the shadow of Max Verstappen [over Mercedes]. I think Toto Wolff still hasn’t completely given up on the thought of having Verstappen in one of his cars next year, but all the messaging we’re getting from Red Bull – and actually from Max – is that Max will be at Red Bull for 2025," Clarkson commented.

Despite Verstappen's contract with the Austrian team extending until 2028, the recent tensions between his father, Jos, and Red Bull's team principal, Christian Horner, could potentially lead to a premature departure.

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"I think ’26 is definitely up for grabs,” Damon Hill claims Max Verstappen could move to Mercedes-AMG in 2026

While Max Verstappen has denied claims of any movements, former Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill believes the Dutchman could join Mercedes in 2026. The latter spoke about the same in the F1 Nation podcast with Tom Clarkson.

During the conversation, Clarkson claimed that Verstappen would likely make an informed decision after comparing the data provided by both Red Bull Racing and Mercedes-AMG.

“I think he’ll be [at Red Bull] for ’25. But I think he can then wait and see more clearly. I think ’26 is definitely up for grabs,” Hill claimed, explaining the possibility for the 2026 season.

In an interview with PlanetF1.com, Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan showcased his confidence in the team's in-house Powertrains division. He believes RBR will be able to impress Verstappen with their 2026 power unit data.

“The work I have seen between the Red Bull chassis side and the Red Bull Powertrain side is as good, if not stronger, than I’ve seen with any of our power unit suppliers,” He commented.

With Red Bull set to become Aston Martin's power unit supplier in 2026, Monaghan emphasized that the Austrian team must successfully deliver on this project.