Max Verstappen sets record straight on Toto Wolff relationship as rumours swirl

Max Verstappen has confirmed that he 'gets on very well with Toto Wolff', praising the Mercedes team principal's 'openness' regarding the ongoings within his organisation.

The three-time world champion has been a target of Wolff's for some time, and the Austrian attempted to lure Verstappen to Mercedes as a replacement for the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.

Despite opting to stay with Red Bull, Verstappen has a lot of respect for the Mercedes team principal. "I get on very well with Toto," he said in Zandvoort.

"He's very open about what is happening within his team, right, and also I think with the driver line-up and stuff. So there's nothing wrong with that, and at the same time also, I focus on my job. There is a lot to do anyway."

These comments follow Wolff's claims that he held talks with Verstappen over a move to Brackley earlier this year. Instead, it appears as though Kimi Antonelli will be George Russell's next team-mate.

"I thought all through the year that there was a window or that there was a possibility. It wasn't zero," Wolff told the Dutch media at Zandvoort on Thursday.

"It's pretty bumpy ground there still, and not only for performance reasons but also because of interpersonal issues that we're all aware. By the way, I got on with Jos for all my life.

"But maybe because we're a bit similar. And that's why I thought the door was never completely closed. What were the odds of that happening? Maybe they were 10 to one. Nine to one.

"Still, I didn't want to give up, but then we together came to the conclusion over the summer that we shouldn't be waiting for something to happen before committing for 2025, but let's just continue our job, Max at Red Bull and here at Mercedes taking our own driver decisions. And that was a kind of a joint thought.”