Former Ferrari driver lifts the curtain on how Helmut Marko "stole" Max Verstappen from Mercedes and Toto Wolff

Former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger has shared that he had informed three-time F1 world champion Niki Lauda about the potential of Max Verstappen before Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko "stole" the young driver from the grasp of Mercedes. The Dutchman had one of the most impressive junior careers of all time given that he won in almost every category he competed in since his carting days, leading up to the pinnacle of motorsport.

There were a couple of suitors for Verstappen but he eventually joined the Red Bull family in 2014 and debuted in 2015 with junior team Toro Rosso. Marko put him in an F1 seat after just one season in the single-seaters in F3. Talking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Berger revealed he had spoken about Verstappen with Lauda earlier:

“It was clear that he was special. One day I told Lauda, ‘You should get Max Verstappen.’ He replied, ‘Do you think he’s good?’ I replied, ‘He is not good, he is outstanding.’ Then Niki, who was already a consultant at Mercedes, immediately called [CEO] Toto Wolff on the phone, ‘We absolutely have to get Verstappen!’

But Toto retorted contritely, ‘Why should we? We have [Valtteri] Bottas and so many good drivers in our academy.’ They discussed it for a while, and I know they talked about it in the following weeks as well, but in the meantime Helmut Marko had arrived to steal Max Verstappen from him."

Verstappen will stay with Red Bull until his current deal expires in 2028 despite some interest from Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff in 2024.

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Max Verstappen gives his take on staying with Red Bull

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has said he was pleased that many "top teams" were interested in acquiring his services but believed he was already driving for one such team. Speaking with ViaPlay, the 27-year-old said:

“The big teams are always interesting, but on the other hand, I’m also in a very big team. Look, of course, we always talk to each other, and I don’t lie about the fact that we’ve sat together. We had very constructive conversations, I think everyone has always been very honest and open with each other. But on the other hand, I am also very loyal to my own team, and I just feel at home there."

Since jumping to Red Bull in the middle of 2016, Verstappen has won 63 races and four consecutive driver's championships from 2021 to 2024. On several occasions, the Dutch driver has said he was unsure about his future in F1 and signing another contract after his current one as he was interested in racing in other racing series.