WAR: The Max Verstappen demands a new head coach today for the red bull due to the...

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Wolff has talked up Verstappen since the start of the season, stating “no team principal wouldn’t do handstands” to sign the Dutchman and that he was “waiting” to see how the driver market develops.

Verstappen is contracted to remain with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season and insists he is intent on staying with the team “at the moment”.

After the Miami Grand Prix, Wolff denied a meeting was planned with Verstappen’s representatives on Monday but refused to dismiss other talks would be held this month.

“There’s always plenty of meetings. I can’t really say about the second driver [at Mercedes],” said Wolff.

“I think we’ve talked about the possibilities. I want to be fair to these guys and not make it look like we are playing chess with humans, because we are not doing that.

“I think we want to take our time, see where Max’s thinking goes, and at the same time, monitor the other drivers. Carlos [Sainz] was very strong in Miami again and that’s why we are a little bit on an observation mode at the moment.”

Verstappen, who finished second behind Lando Norris in Miami, has consistently made it clear he wants to be in the fastest car and in the “right environment”.

It appears the most decisive factor in the 26-year-old’s F1 future is which team he thinks will be best placed when the new 2026 regulations begin, as the pecking order will almost certainly change.

Wolff thinks Verstappen is the key chess piece in this year’s driver market for all the teams.