Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says the time is correct to cease “flirting” with Max Verstappen now that his squad’s System 1 driver line-up is sorted.
Within the wake of Lewis Hamilton asserting his departure from Mercedes on the finish of this season, Wolff held quite a few discussions with the Verstappen camp earlier this yr a few potential swap.
Wolff hoped that the early season turmoil inside Pink Bull following the allegations made towards crew boss Christian Horner, allied to questions over the squad’s long-term competitiveness, might tempt Verstappen to make a transfer.
However with the talks going nowhere, and Mercedes more and more impressed with junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s progress in testing this yr, the curiosity in a Verstappen swoop fell away.
Forward of this yr’s Italian Grand Prix, Mercedes introduced that Antonelli would step up as Hamilton’s alternative forward of what the squad hopes is the beginning of a long-term relationship.
With Antonelli slotted in alongside George Russell, Mercedes has talked of a driver line-up that it expects to have in place for years – which is why Wolff sees no must be energetic with Verstappen anymore.
Chatting with Motorsport.com about ideas on his method to Verstappen’s future, Wolff stated: “We’re sitting again.
“I believe I’ve expressed it earlier than, and we have now an identical view additionally from Max’s facet: you have to put religion in your drivers or in your crew. It’s essential give it the utmost help you may to make it successful. And provided that issues go actually fallacious, you’ll contemplate different alternatives.
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Crew, 1st place, Toto Wolff, Crew Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG F1 Crew, have fun in Parc Ferme
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures
“For me, it is like flirting exterior while you are making your relationship work. It would not work, I am not flirting exterior.
“Provided that I need to have a change, or contemplate a change, I’d search a dialog. And it’s the identical on his facet. We’re fairly aligned in our values on that I believe.”
Whereas Mercedes sees Antonelli as somebody for the very long run, the way forward for Russell has been the topic of curiosity – with Pink Bull suggesting he may very well be a candidate for the Milton Keynes squad when his present contracts expires on the finish of 2025.
However Wolff sees Russell as an integral a part of Mercedes for years to return, and thinks he’ll revel within the contemporary problem of going up towards the younger Antonelli.
“George has an identical trajectory when it comes to karting and junior method, and George was the primary Mercedes junior that joined us,” added Wolff. “He is nonetheless our Mercedes driver.
“We do not make a giant distinction [between him and Antonelli]. Emotionally, we give them the identical help. Nothing adjustments.
“Each prime driver in F1 is aware of that he must compete towards their team-mate, whether or not he is younger or previous. George’s team-mate has been Lewis Hamilton, the best driver of all time, for 3 years.
“So he can be simply advantageous competing towards one of many youngest, who is available in with nice expectations.”
