Despite holding a contract until 2028, Verstappen has been heavily linked with a move away from Red Bull as soon as F1 2025 amid the early-season uncertainty that surrounded the team.
Having produced the most dominant campaign in history in F1 2023, winning 21 out of a possible 22 races as Verstappen eased to a third consecutive World Championship, Red Bull began F1 2024 with four wins from the first five rounds.
However, the team’s supremacy has been challenged over recent weeks after Red Bull were rocked by the news that long-serving designer Adrian Newey will leave in early 2025.
Verstappen has also found himself caught up in a feud between Christian Horner and his father Jos, who called for the team principal to resign in March after an investigation into Horner’s conduct was dismissed.
Mercedes have won each of the last two races in Austria, where George Russell took advantage of a collision between Verstappen and Lando Norris to secure the team’s first victory since November 2022, and Britain, where Lewis Hamilton held off Verstappen’s late charge to claim a record-extending 104th career triumph.
Wolff has made no secret of his desire to sign Verstappen as Ferrari-bound Hamilton’s replacement for F1 2025, stating earlier this season that he “would love to have” the 26-year-old.
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com, however, Wolff has conceded that Verstappen should not consider a move to Mercedes until the team can prove themselves a compelling alternative to Red Bull.
He said: “We need two to crash at the front to win at the moment.
