HUNGRY LIKE A WOLFF
» Prowling Mercedes boss is waiting for right moment to pounce for his top target » Toto: I didn’t expect Lewis to be going and a certain situation at Red Bull a few months ago...
MERCEDES supremo Toto Wolff is ready to swoop if he thinks there is even the slightest chance of three-time world champion Max Verstappen quitting Red Bull.
Wolff will lose Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari next year, and Verstappen is his No.1 choice to replace the Brit.
Wolff has also admitted to having chats with Verstappen and his dad Jos.
The Austrian said: “Max is now in the best car and has a great deal at Red Bull.
“It’s just that the whole working environment there at the moment may not be as it should be.”
Red Bull are in the midst of a civil war following the fallout over team chief Christian Horner being accused of inappropriate behaviour by a female colleague.
That grievance was dismissed after an investigation, but the woman has appealed.
Horner has powerful enemies – including Verstappen’s father Jos, who publicly wants him out, and long-serving Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko.
The latter fell out with Horner months ago, but Marko’s place is secure thanks to his strong bond with the team’s star driver.
Verstappen threatened to quit Red Bull if Marko leaves – and it is understood the team is prepared to let the Dutchman go if forced to pick between him and Horner. The split at Red Bull has given Wolff hope that he can get his No.1 target to replace Hamilton.
The 52-year-old added: “A few months ago I didn’t expect that opportunity to be there at all. That Lewis could leave after this year, we knew when he signed his contract.
“But at the same time, it creates momentum for us now that we have choices.
“As possible replacements for Lewis, there is only a small group of drivers who are interesting for us.
“Among them are some drivers who are not going to make any rash decisions.
“Nor will Max Verstappen decide where his future lies some time in the next few weeks. At Red Bull, there is a certain situation.
“Therefore, Max will presumably also go to see how that situation develops.” Verstappen is thundering towards a fourth straight drivers’ title this year. The first of those came in 2021 at the climax of a blockbuster but bitter battle with Hamilton.
The rivalry between them was reflected in the relationship between Wolff and Horner, while the Mercedes chief also fell out with the Verstappens. But Wolff insists he shares “clear values” with the Dutch father and son and hopes to find a way for them to work together.
He said: “Max, Jos and I have talked about it and everything has been pronounced.
“We have always had respect for each other and Jos and I also have the same kind of humour.
“The most important thing is that we both don’t like bullsh**.
“Jos knows more about racing than I do. Maybe I know a bit more about running an organisation.
“It’s unfortunate that there were those moments of rivalry, but maybe they would have acted that way too, if they were in my position and I will always defend my own driver.
“Looking back on that whole year [2021], it is clear that I made some mistakes. In the way I dealt with some things. I cannot reverse that.
“If you look at Max’s past two years, there is no one even close to him.
“As a driver, you also can’t do it without a good car, engine and team around you. Max is in that position now.”
If you look at the past two years, there is no one even close to Max