Lewis Hamilton blocked Max Verstappen from joining Mercedes before Red Bull move

13 September 2023 , 09:11

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Max Verstappen might have joined Mercedes rather than compete against them with Red Bull (Image: Getty Images)

Mercedes missed out on signing Max Verstappen as a talented young Formula 1 hopeful, Toto Wolff has admitted.

Verstappen's name is now synonymous with Red Bull Racing. Having made his F1 debut with sister team Toro Rosso, he was swiftly promoted to the top team and, after a few years of development, has turned into the man to beat on the grid.

He is on course to secure his third consecutive drivers' title this year and will do so in style. He is currently on a record-breaking 10-race winning streak with Red Bull so dominant.

But it could have been different. Verstappen might never have raced for Red Bull at all, Wolff said, as he spoke about Mercedes' attempts to sign the Dutchman as a teenager.

"Max was very good in karting, was good in F3, and it was clear that there's a big one that's growing," Wolff told F1's Beyond the Grid podcast when asked if he could have signed Verstappen in the past.

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However, as he went on to add, the fact Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were comfortable and performing well in their race seats ultimately pushed the Dutchman away. "We talked to them in the initial phases, and it was a nice discussion with [dad] Jos and with Max involved as well," Wolff added.

"But it was clear that we couldn't give him a seat because we had Nico and we had Lewis. We offered the support in F2 but, since Red Bull was able to offer them the AlphaTauri seat, or Toro Rosso back in the day, it got Max into the seat."

As it turned out, an opportunity did arise at Mercedes more quickly than expected. Rosberg won the 2016 title over team-mate Hamilton and decided to immediately retire from the sport, with the Silver Arrows signing Valtteri Bottas from Williams to replace him.

Wolff cannot be sure whether or not Verstappen might have opted for Mercedes had he not already signed with Red Bull. But, when posed that hypothetical scenario, the Austrian declared his preference not to waste time wondering what might have been.

"Maybe," he replied, adding: "But, you know... if I would know where the stock market is next year, I would decide to invest in it or not. We would be very happy and rich people if we would know what happens 12 months on."

Daniel Moxon