Toto Wolff now personally wants ‘lightning fast’ F1 driver to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff now wants to sign Red Bull driver Max Verstappen to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025 when the seven-time F1 champion moves to Ferrari.

The Silver Arrows are currently biding their time before declaring who will share their garage with George Russell next year. Hamilton has left Mercedes to search for a new star driver for 2025 after triggering the escape clause in his contract to strike a multi-year deal with Ferrari.

Hamilton only agreed to fresh terms in Brackley last August that covered the 2024 and 2025 seasons. But his deal featured a release clause for after 2024, which he triggered following a second straight winless year. Now, Wolff wants to sign Verstappen, the driver dominating F1.

Toto Wolff wants Max Verstappen to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025

That is according to Cologne-based newspaper the Express, which reports that Wolff is keen for Mercedes to sign Verstappen from Red Bull to replace Hamilton. He has also overcome a potential hurdle as the Silver Arrows’ CEO has repaired his relationship with Jos Verstappen.

Jos declared in 2021 that ‘Toto never has to call us again’ following the drama that saw Max Verstappen take the Red Bull star’s first of three successive titles at Hamilton and Mercedes’ expense. But Wolff and Jos have fixed their issues and were seen together at the Bahrain GP.

The Express quotes Wolff as sharing that his encounter with Jos was to ‘congratulate him on his son’s achievement’. But the Mercedes chief added that ‘everything is possible’ in regards to stealing Verstappen away from Red Bull as they look to replace Hamilton for next season.

What happened between Jos Verstappen and Toto Wolff?

Tensions between Wolff and Jos escalated after Verstappen controversially won the 2021 F1 drivers’ championship against Hamilton. Their relationship began to sour after the British GP following their crash which took the Red Bull ace out of the race whilst fighting for the lead.

The controversy that Michael Masi sparked at the Abu Dhabi GP only heightened the friction between Red Bull and Mercedes. The former race director manipulated the rules to see that the event did not finish under the safety car, giving Verstappen the chance to pass Hamilton.

Max Verstappen can leave Red Bull if Helmut Marko departs

But now that Wolff and Jos have mended their differences, the Mercedes chief hopes a door is open for Verstappen to leave Red Bull and replace Hamilton next year. It also comes amid a report by F1 Insider that Verstappen has a clause to terminate his contract lasting until 2028.

Verstappen can terminate his contract for Red Bull if motorsport advisor Helmut Marko was to also leave the team. Marko is under contract with the parent Red Bull company and leads their young driver programme. The Austrian also signed a new three-year deal this January.

But tensions at Red Bull continue to bubble under the surface – despite Verstappen starting 2024 in dominant fashion. The 26-year-old secured his fifth career Formula 1 grand slam at the Bahrain GP after a ‘lightning fast’ pole position and his ‘unreal’ consistency in the race.