Toto Wolff responds to Max Verstappen’s ‘that’s what I said’ 2025 Red Bull claim

Toto Wolff and Max Verstappen at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.

Toto Wolff has refuted that Max Verstappen said a definite ‘yes’ to staying at Red Bull in 2025, saying the Dutchman didn’t “clearly” say that.

Although Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull through to the end of the 2028 championship, Wolff has made no secret about wanting to persuade the triple World Champion to swap to Brackley.

Did Max Verstappen say ‘yes’ to driving for Red Bull in 2025?

And sooner rather than later.

So much so that he is holding off on announcing George Russell’s 2025 team-mate until late in the year when he knows if Mercedes’ future is “with Kimi [Antonelli] or see what Max does”, as he told DAZN.

Verstappen though, all but shut the door on that during Thursday’s driver press conference for the Austrian Grand Prix when he said “we are working and focusing also on next year to try and be competitive again.”

Pressed on the topic later in the press conference, the triple World Champion replied: “You didn’t get that out of my answer before? OK – yes. But that’s what I said.”

Told by OE24 that Verstappen had said “yes” on Thursday when asked if he would still be driving for Red Bull next year, Wolff replied: “Did he really say that?

“I don’t think he clearly said yes. But I wasn’t there.”

Asked if that meant he was still hoping to persuade Verstappen over to Brackley, the team principal answered: “As I always say: We’ll keep our free seat free for as long as possible. First and foremost, we have to make our car faster. If the car goes fast, fast drivers will want to drive with us.”

And Wolff considers Verstappen to be one of the fastest, saying: “I’ve said it a lot recently: Max is the best driver at the moment, and everyone who has the chance would like to have Max in their car. Ola (Källenius, Mercedes CEO) sees it the same way.”

The latest on the Mercedes/Red Bull tug-o-war for Max Verstappen

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What did Max Verstappen say in the driver press conference

Q: A question for Max. Max, in Spain there was again a Christian/Toto back and forth about your future. Do you want to close the matter definitely by saying that you will stay in Red Bull 100%?

MV: I think I’ve said this before. I mean, actually, of course, people are talking, but it’s most important just that we have a very competitive car for the future. At the moment, of course, it’s very tight, but we are working very well as a team to try and improve more. And for sure, I said this already with the team, we are working and focusing also on next year to try and be competitive again.

Q: It was a follow-up on that, Max, actually. If your car isn’t the fastest then at the end of this season, we’ve already heard from last weekend that most people think the McLaren’s the quickest. If your car isn’t the best car in the field, would you then leave?

MV: I don’t think that’s how Formula 1 works, where then suddenly you can say, ‘well, bye, guys’. It’s not how it works. I have a long contract with the team. I’m very happy where I’m at. And like I said before, we are focusing also already on next year with things that we can implement on the car. So I guess that should say enough of where I’m driving next year.

Q: (Question to Max, please. We’ve danced around the subject a little bit today. If I could just say to you: simple yes or no, will you be driving for Red Bull next year, please?

MV: You didn’t get that out of my answer before? OK – yes. But that’s what I said. I mean, we’re already also working on next year’s car, you know. Yeah, I think when you’re very focused on that, that means that you’re also driving for the team.