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Max Verstappen has recently addressed the rumors concerning Mercedes and his evolving relationship with Toto Wolff. After their widely discussed summer encounter in Sardinia, the Red Bull driver explained how an accidental holiday overlap was interpreted far beyond reality.
Speculation linking Verstappen to Mercedes intensified during the European leg of the year. Red Bull’s bad run of form, paired with uncertainty over Mercedes’ driver contracts, gave further credibility to the rumors. George Russell publicly acknowledged that Mercedes would explore all options to return to the front, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli was still navigating a difficult rookie phase amid scrutiny.
That atmosphere escalated further during the summer break when Verstappen and Wolff were photographed in Sardinia. Despite Verstappen being under contract with Red Bull through 2028, the images reignited talk of a potential switch. Addressing the situation, Verstappen explained how the meeting unfolded.
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“I clearly stated that I’m staying (at Red Bull). That Toto and I were next to each other on a holiday didn’t really help either,” Max Verstappen told Viaplay. “I like Sardinia, he likes Sardinia. I arrived and thought, ‘oh shit.’ I waved to him, we went for lunch together, the kids play together. Whenever you’re there, you talk about a lot of things besides F1.”
Ma Verstappen also reflected on how his relationship with Wolff has evolved since their contentious 2021 chapter.
“That you can get along well since ’21, it has changed a lot since then,” he added. “You can have a lot of nice conversations with him and Susie.”
Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton entered the 2021 Abu Dhabi finale level on points, with the British driver controlling much of the race. However, a late safety car period with six laps remaining changed the outcome. Race control allowed only five lapped cars between the two drivers to unlap themselves before the restart. It allowed Verstappen to chase down Hamilton on fresher tires and win his first title.
Mercedes lodged two protests afterward, both rejected, and Toto Wolff made several remarks in the aftermath that extended into the following season. Max Verstappen has since dominated the sport, winning four consecutive world championships. Mercedes, meanwhile, struggled to return to title contention. The balance of power changed, and with it, the tone between former rivals.
Susie Wolff, however, has maintained her view of that decisive race. She has previously stated that Lewis Hamilton was the “better driver” on the day in Abu Dhabi.
Toto Wolff explains why Max Verstappen's pursuit became “destabilizing” for Mercedes
The Sardinia episode also prompted reflection from Toto Wolff himself. Back in October 2025, the Mercedes team principal admitted that his public attempts to engage Max Verstappen earlier in the year had unsettled his own team, particularly during a period of contract uncertainty.
“The truth is that you’ve got to learn from the mistake,” Wolff told Sky Sports. “There wasn’t any on purpose flirting, it’s just a coincidence. It was clear that you need to have that conversation and then we ended up in the same place in the summer, which obviously doesn’t look good and is destabilizing for everyone.”
Wolff later clarified that familiarity and mutual respect in the paddock can be easily misinterpreted. Kimi Antonelli has since admitted that the speculation took a mental toll during the hardest stretch of his rookie season.
Mercedes moved quickly to stabilize matters. Both George Russell and Antonelli were signed to extensions through 2026, with multi-year clauses running into 2027. On track, the response was strong. Russell delivered the best season of his F1 career with nine podium finishes, while Antonelli claimed three. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, finished the campaign two points short of his fifth title, after winning six of the final eight races.
