Things are tense between Red Bull and Mercedes right now. But rather than a fight for the world championship, it’s the future of Max Verstappen at the heart of it.
Only once during their respective tenures in the sport have both teams been in a position to win the world title. That was in 2021, where the battle between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton went down to the final race in Abu Dhabi.
After the acrimony of that season and the scandal of the finale, it would have been hard to conceive of a world in which Verstappen raced in Mercedes colours. But that’s no longer the case.
Hamilton rocked both the Silver Arrows and the Formula 1 world when he decided to join Ferrari over the winter. In his efforts to replace him, Wolff has focused squarely on the second-most successful driver on the grid.
While he makes moves behind the scenes, like offering Verstappen a world-record contract, the Austrian has publicly acknowledged his interest too. Inevitably, this hasn’t gone down well at Red Bull.
Team principal Christian Horner told Wolff to focus on his own team after the Chinese Grand Prix last month. Mercedes have failed to score a podium after six races for the first time since 2011.
And in Miami, an even more senior figure got involved. Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff accused Wolff of a lack of ‘respect’ in an interview with Bild.
Mintzlaff also told him that it would be ‘impossible’ to lure executive director Helmut Marko to Brackley. Verstappen’s long-term Red Bull contract can be broken if Marko leaves.
Max Verstappen backs Oliver Mintzlaff after what he said about Toto Wolff
Speaking to the Dutch version of Motorsport.com, Verstappen weighed in on the CEO’s remarks. He says they share ‘a very good relationship’, one that’s developed since the passing of co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022.
“Oliver is also very busy with other things, he doesn’t just do Formula 1,” he said. “He is not always there, but he gets everything.
“When he walks around here, of course he gets questions about it. In the end, maybe that’s also his role. But in the background there is of course a lot more happening than what is just being said here.
“I talk to him quite a lot. He has come more into the picture for me since Dietrich Mateschitz died. I did know before then that he worked at Red Bull and what he did.
“But after that time he has been pushed more to the front and then you automatically get more in touch. But that goes very well, we have a very good relationship.”
Max Verstappen holds new talks with Mercedes
While Verstappen has publicly spoken of the strength of his bond with Mintzlaff, he appears to be assessing his options behind the scenes. He reportedly held a rescheduled meeting with Wolff on Monday where they discussed the ‘feasibility’ of a Mercedes move.
Wolff has already told him that he’ll offer Marko a job if it helps bring him to the German giants. It’s clear based on the aforementioned clause just how much Verstappen values his presence.
And crucially, they’ve apparently made a pact behind the scenes. If the 27-year-old wants to join another team, Marko is ready to walk so he can activate his clause.
All of this presents a major headache to Horner as he tries to keep the world champions together. He’s just lost his chief designer Adrian Newey, who’s departing in February 2025.
Jos Verstappen stoked the speculation last week when he warned that the team was at risk of ‘falling apart’. In this context, Mintzlaff’s intervention may be intended as a show of strength from the Red Bull brand.
The post ‘A lot more happening’: Max Verstappen reacts to Oliver Mintzlaff’s warning to Mercedes at Miami Grand Prix appeared first on F1 Oversteer.