"I think Wolff's wish is the father of the thought": Red Bull responds to Mercedes' Max Verstappen interest

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko claimed that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff's wish was the main driving force behind Max Verstappen's rumored interest in leaving the Austrian team. The Mercedes team boss has been vocal on several occasions about his desire to get the three-time world champion in the German team as a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton.

The Austrian went on the offensive after reports of an internal power struggle in the Red Bull camp emerged at the beginning of the 2024 season. This sparked rumors of Verstappen's potential exit.

Although the reports of an internal struggle might have died down over the course of the season, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff remained interested in the services of Max Verstappen. He told OE24:

"We will keep a seat open for as long as possible. Max Verstappen is the best driver at the moment and is an extraordinary driver. Everyone who sees even a chance wants him in the car. [Mercedes-Benz CEO] Ola Kallenius thinks the same," Wolff said (as quoted by RacingNews365).

However, Helmut Marko refuted any reports of Verstappen leaving the reigning world champion. He told Sky Germany:

"Above all, I think Wolff's wish is the father of the thought. Our starting point has remained unchanged. As long as Red Bull provides Verstappen with a competitive car, and as long as he feels good, there is no reason for him to leave the team."

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Max Verstappen clarifies his future amidst fresh comments by Toto Wolff

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen stated that he was happy with his current situation and pointed out that he and the team were already thinking of the next season.

In his pre-race press conference in Austria, the Dutch driver said:

"I don't think that's how Formula 1 works, where then suddenly you can say, ‘well, bye, guys’. It's not how it works. I have a long contract with the team. I'm very happy where I'm at," Verstappen said.

"And like I said before, we are focusing also already on next year with things that we can implement on the car. So I guess that should say enough of where I'm driving next year," he added.

He also emphasized the significance of having a "competitive car for the future", highlighting the competition on the grid and the need to work towards improving as a team.

Max Verstappen would be eyeing a clean sweep at the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, as he has already claimed sprint pole position, followed by a sprint win and a pole position for the main race on Sunday.

The Dutch driver has already won five times at the Red Bull Ring and blew the field away in the Qualifying session on Saturday as he qualified over four tenths ahead of Lando Norris in P2.