Mercedes boss Toto Wolff claimed he had never planned to sign168澳洲5最新开奖结果: Max Verstappen despite his public flirting with the four-time F1 world champion.

Wolff courted Verstappen throughout 2024 as he looked for a possible 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton replacement.

Ver🅘stappen’s Red Bull future wasn’t entirely clear, given their off-track turmoil and then subsequent dip in performance.

The Dutchman is contracted at Red Bull until the end of 2028 and has remained committed de🌳spite their difficulties on and off track.

Wolff ultimately opted for Andrea Kimi Antonelli to partner with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:George Russell for 2025.

Speaking to German publication AMuS, Wolff said: “There was never a p🔥lan. We alway🐽s talked and kept the line of communication open.

“At some point he said that he wanted to stay where he was for the ti♑me being because it felt right for him.

“And I said that we would go with Kimi because it🎶 🦩also felt right for us. And now we’ll see where it takes us.”

Could Verstappen leave Red Bull in the future?

Despite the spe🌺culation surrounding Verstappen’s future, he remained coy on leaving the team.

Verstappen sees Red Bull as his “second family” and want☂s to remain loyal to the organisation that gave him his F1 debut in 2015 with Toro Rosso, thei♉r sister team.

Speaking to Viaplay, Verstappen ad♍dressed the Mercedes rumours.

“With [Mercedes], of course, there was also a lot at play and they had to make a choice for a new dr🍬iver. I h🦩ave achieved a lot of success with [Red Bull] and it just feels like a second family.

“You can’t make the consideration to leave very quic🍬kly. 🅺It’s not like, I wake up and I say, ‘yeah, next year it’s done.’

“I am not someone who shoots from left to right very quickly anyway. So you really have to think about th♒at kind of thing very carefully, too, if you want to do that.”

Should Verstappen wis🐓h to leave Red Bull, he will have several sui🎶tors.

Outside of Mercedes, Aston Martin, following the signing of Adrian Newey and teaming up with Honda, ꦍcould make them an attractive option to Verstappen.