- Mercedes director Toto Wolff has spoken out in favor of luring Verstappen to the team
- Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari next season will free up a seat at Mercedes
- According to reports, Mercedes could make a staggering offer to Verstappen
Max Verstappen has given Red Bull a welcome boost by insisting he could not be lured to Mercedes even for £150 million a year.
The reigning world champion put himself ahead of the prize as rumors swirl that he is unhappy with recent shenanigans at the team, where design guru Adrian Newey only announced this week that he would not be terminating his contract.
This came on top of the scandal that engulfed team boss Christian Horner due to alleged coercive behavior towards a female colleague. He was acquitted after an internal investigation, against a verdict that is still under appeal.
The 26-year-old Verstappen has not enjoyed the unrest and has called for calm, but is not yet ready to jump ship and certainly not while driving the car of his time.
He is under contract until 2028, but that hasn’t stopped Mercedes from considering him as their dream replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen insists he couldn’t be lured to Mercedes even for £150 million
Before the Miami Grand Prix, the Dutchman said: ‘My future currently lies with Red Bull. Even if there was a £150m offer, money won’t be the differentiator for me going anywhere.
‘I am happy with what I already earn.
‘If I knew I would be fifth or sixth I would get quite grumpy. Everyone knows it’s about performance – and Toto (Wolff, the Mercedes team boss) knows that.
‘I believe in the project and everyone involved, but in sport and in life you know nothing about the future.’
Wolff and Verstappen’s father Jos dined together during the opening race in Bahrain, raising suspicions that Mercedes could be a possible exit route.
Verstappen Snr is particularly anti-Horner and told Mail Sport in March that the team would ‘explode’ unless the 50-year-old Englishman left.
Jos is not in Miami this weekend, although he originally intended to be here.
As for Mercedes turning around their ailing fortunes, Hamilton hardly sounded convinced, saying: ‘I hope the year gets better.
“I don’t want to say it can’t get worse, but I definitely think we will improve.”
Mercedes is reportedly preparing for a world record offer to Max Verstappen
Mercedes director Toto Wolff has spoken about the prospect of luring Verstappen to the team
Mercedes came up with an upgrade here, but that offers no guarantees based on the evidence of the past three seasons. As usual, they were not up to speed in the first training.
On the temporary track, Verstappen complained about no grip. “It’s like riding on eggshells,” he said, before setting the fastest time.