Halfway through the Formula 1 season, transfer rumors surrounding Max Verstappen flared up again. Amid the sporting decline at Red Bull, the Dutchman was repeatedly linked with a move to Mercedes. Although he vowed to remain loyal to the Austrian racing team, Verstappen was still spotted on the yacht of Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff during the summer break. After the season he explains what really lay behind that meeting.
In his end-of-year interview with Viaplay, Max Verstappen was asked about the now infamous meeting with Toto Wolff in Sardinia. During the summer break, photos emerged of the Dutchman on the yacht of the Mercedes team boss. Observant Formula 1 fans also discovered that Verstappen’s boat was moored right next to Wolff’s on the Italian island.
‘Talk about everything, except Formula 1’
“I had clearly indicated that I would stay with Red Bull,” said Verstappen. “But the fact that Toto (Wolff, ed.) and I were on holiday next to each other didn’t really help, of course,” he joked. However, according to the Dutchman, the meeting was purely coincidental. “I love Sardinia, he loves Sardinia. But when I arrived I thought: ‘Oh shit’,” Verstappen laughed. “I waved at him, we went to lunch together and the children played together. When you are there, you talk about everything, except Formula 1.”
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“A lot has changed since 2021; we get along well,” Verstappen continued. “You can have nice conversations with him and with Susie (Wolff, ed.),” he explained. However, a collaboration did not materialize. Next year, the four-time world champion will simply honor his contract with Red Bull, while Mercedes will continue with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Verstappen is still on contract until 2028.
View the 2026 F1 calendar here
Not one, but two editions to end 2025! In addition to the double-thick ‘Year of Max’ (124 pages), the 172-page FORMULA 1 Yearbook 2025 is now also available in stores (or at your home as a subscriber). Relive the season with team and driver analyses, facts and figures and the best themed stories from all Grands Prix! Don’t miss it! (can also be ordered online, with free delivery in the Netherlands!)
