Max Verstappen is poised to guide Mercedes’ wishlist for potential successors to seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025, based on group principal Toto Wolff.
Despite having a contract with Red Bull till 2028, Verstappen’s future with the group has been uncertain attributable to strained relations between his father, Jos and group principal Christian Horner.
With Hamilton departing for Ferrari on the finish of the season, Mercedes has a vacant seat, which Carlos Sainz, who gained the Australian GP on Sunday, may fill.
“We have a slot free, the only one in the top teams – unless Max decides he goes and then the slot is not going to be free with us anymore,” Wolff instructed Fox Sports Australia in an interview in Melbourne.
The interview, performed after qualifying, was not extensively picked up then, however the sturdy feedback drew consideration later.
When requested if Verstappen can be the primary choose, Wolff replied: “Yes. You see what his performance levels are, but I wouldn’t want to discount the other ones, too.”
Wolff tried to signal Verstappen as a teen earlier than he joined Red Bull, however he couldn’t instantly supply him an F1 seat.
The Austrian mentioned he had an excellent relationship with Jos Verstappen and had met on the time in Vienna to debate future prospects, however the driver already had a proposal from Red Bull at that time.
“It’s a kind of relationship that needs to happen at a certain stage, but we don’t know when,” he requested if signing Verstappen may shut a circle.
Wolff additionally talked about double world champion Fernando Alonso, Sainz and Mercedes-backed F2 rookie Kimi Antonelli as attainable choices.
“Obviously, there’s Fernando, who’s very exciting and Carlos, who’s very good. So there are a few ones,” he mentioned.
Verstappen has not dominated out a transfer to Mercedes in the long run however mentioned he was snug at his “second family,” Red Bull, in Australia, and it could be an amazing story to complete his F1 profession with them.
Once-dominant Mercedes didn’t win a race final season and suffered a double retirement in Melbourne, their first since 2018.
Source: www.dailysabah.com