“They want me in the car, I understand that”: Max Verstappen addresses Toto Wolff’s efforts to sign him as Lewis Hamilton's replacement

Max Verstappen recently discussed the possibility of joining Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton's replacement next season.

The Red Bull star's future has been under the spotlight amidst the ongoing Civil War in the team. Amidst this, Verstappen has addressed his chances of joining Mercedes as Toto Wolff continues to push for the three-time F1 champion to join the Silver Arrows.

The Dutchman also talked about his discussions with Wolff before joining Red Bull's Toro Rosso in 2015. He eventually became the youngest-ever F1 driver as well as F1 race winner later with Red Bull.

The Dutch Lion told De Limburger:

"They [Mercedes] want me in that car, I understand that. Look: a few years ago there was of course a little more tension between us and Mercedes... But that can all be forgiven and forgotten. That's true on both sides. But that doesn't mean I think I should be driving somewhere else right now."

The Dutchman also emphasized one more important reason for him to continue at Red Bull. He stated that Mercedes didn't have the fastest car on the grid either.

Verstappen shifts his focus to Japan after a DNF in Australia snatched his chance of registering 10 consecutive F1 wins. It was the 26-year-old's first DNF in 2 years.

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Max Verstappen to Mercedes "must happen" at some stage, says Toto Wolff

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has publicly admitted that Max Verstappen is his number 1 target next season. The Silver Arrows seat is up for grabs after Lewis Hamilton announced in February that he had signed to race for Ferrari in 2025.

The Austrian Team Principal missed out on the Dutch prodigy during the early years of his career. Furthermore, he also admitted to having a good relationship with Max's father, Jos Verstappen.

In an interview with Fox Sports Australia last month, Wolff said:

"We have a slot free, the only one in the top teams – unless Max decides he goes. Then the slot is not going to be free with us anymore."

The 52-year-old Austrian also stated:

"It’s a kind of a relationship that needs to happen at a certain stage, but we don’t know when"

It remains to be seen if the Red Bull driver switches allegiance to their rival Mercedes. The Brackley-based team have problems of their own as George Russell and Hamilton have endured a painful start to the 2024 F1 season.

With Ferrari and McLaren's lineup sorted for the near future, does Max Verstappen joining Mercedes make sense given their struggling car?