Red Bull managing director calls out Toto Wolff's insistent pursuit of Max Verstappen

Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff has called out Mercedes boss Toto Wolff for his insistent public pursuit of Max Verstappen. Ever since Lewis Hamilton announced that he would be a Ferrari driver in 2025, Toto has had a vacancy on his team.

When the Austrian team was marred by political battles and an internal investigation involving Christian Horner, Toto Wolff began making attempts to lure Max Verstappen to Mercedes. Since then, at every given moment, the Austrian has made sure he never rules out the possibility of the Dutch driver joining the German team.

During all of this, Max Verstappen has maintained the stance that if the status quo is maintained at Red Bull, he will continue to be a part of the team. With Adrian Newey's announcement that he would be leaving the Austrian team, rumors started flying that Max had a meeting with Toto Wolff for a possible switch to Mercedes.

There was even a £150 million figure that was thrown around as an offer from Mercedes to Max Verstappen. Talking to BILD, Oliver Mintzlaff admitted he wasn't impressed by what Toto Wolff had been doing. Pointing out that Wolff had a lot to do to get his team back on track, Mintzlaff said,

"I understand the pressure that Toto Wolff and perhaps other teams have after years of being behind. But I think Toto Wolff should concentrate on his challenges. He has enough of that. And it also has something to do with respect when I keep talking about the personnel of other teams. That's not right."

No chance of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull for Mercedes

When questioned if there was any chance of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull for Mercedes, Mintzlaff was almost dismissive, as he pointed to the fact that Red Bull had the best car on the grid.

Max Verstappen has made it clear that the biggest criterion for him to stay at a team or move is the fastest car. If that criteria is satisfied, he won't be looking to make a move. Answering if there was a possibility of the Dutch driver leaving the team, Mintzlaff said,

"No. At least I can't think of any. Like I said, Max wants the fastest car. We have that. Max wants to become world champion. With us he has the best chances. And Max is a loyal guy. He knows that Christian Horner and Helmut Marko (motorsport boss; editor) have always placed their trust in him."

He added,

"He appreciates that. In addition, Red Bull is simply a great brand that he can extremely identify with. So there are many reasons for staying – and none against it."

Verstappen's future has been a bone of contention in the media for a while now. With the driver's father expressing dissatisfaction at how things are going within the team, not everything is smooth sailing. The short-term future lacks stability for Red Bull, as Christian Horner will be trying to calm things down at Milton Keynes.