Mercedes boss Toto Wolff uses bizarre po*n analogy when asked about edited images of him and Max Verstappen from earlier in the season 

Toto Wolff opted for arguably the most bizarre analogy when he was quizzed about his photos with Max Verstappen from the summer break. The 53-year-old drew an analogy with por*ographic movies and his face while speaking about the images that had surfaced.

The Mercedes team principal, who had largely been outspoken about his desire for Verstappen to join his team, was quizzed about his popularity on social media, particularly in recent months. The Austrian motorsports chief was also informed about some of his photos with the four-time world champion, which were created with the aid of artificial intelligence.

Responding to this question following the conclusion of the Dutch Grand Prix Friday session, Toto Wolff said:

“My own interests aren’t with the average social media user, let’s put it that way. I focus more on adults. But to a certain extent. I watch with amusement. So much is happening these days with AI and deepfakes. I think there are even por*ographic films of me, at least with my head pasted on. But as long as a good body is used and I perform very well in the scenes, I don't mind. More seriously: social media storm about Formula 1 is still better than no one being interested.”

The Formula 1 break was largely heralded by conversations between Toto Wolff and his meeting with Max Verstappen. These talks were further fuelled by the jet of the Red Bull Racing driver, which took a trip to Sardinia, Italy, the same place where Wolff had opted for his summer holiday.

While Verstappen has since confirmed his intent to continue at Red Bull, Wolff appears to still be keen on signing the driver for 2027.

Toto Wolff quizzed on how close he was to signing Max Verstappen

Toto Wolff was also quizzed about how close he was to signing Max Verstappen for Mercedes. The Brackley-based team CEO detailed how nothing concrete regarding negotiations played out between both parties.

The German motorsports executive detailed how several factors were often considered during the recent years his team has been linked with the four-time world champion; however, Wolff did not discard the option of making a move for the driver in the near future.

"It never became that concrete and one-dimensional. It was more a question of: is it useful from Mercedes' perspective, and from Max's? It never got to the point where we thought: We're going to do this. But let's see what happens in two or three years,” he said via De Telegraaf.

The saga between Toto Wolff and signing Max Verstappen continues to linger, and the contract situation of both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes has done little to suppress these talks. Whether Wolff eventually gets to sign Verstappen will be one storyline to keep a close watch on.