'Clarity Before the Summer': Wolff Discusses Verstappen Talks and Russell
Jun.29 - Dr Helmut Marko says the Max Verstappen-to-Mercedes rumour is "becoming boring".
Although Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris insist the Red Bull driver is still in the 2025 drivers' title race, Verstappen basically wrote off his chances a couple of races ago.
"Not really, no," the quadruple world champion said at the Red Bull Ring if winning from P7 on Sunday is possible.
"I don't even think about McLaren," Verstappen added.
Indeed, McLaren has been consistently at the front all season, while even a car upgrade for Red Bull in Austria - one of the team's last for 2025 - has not worked out.
"I don't want to talk about the upgrades, because I don't think this was caused by that alone," Verstappen insisted.
"But we have taken a step backwards, and you don't want to do that."
He even admitted to lending a hand to rookie Gabriel Bortoleto's weekend after his final Q3 run was spoiled by the Pierre Gasly spin.
"My lap was already messed up, I saw Bortoleto behind me and he's having a really good weekend, so I thought 'I'll help him a little bit'," Verstappen told Viaplay, explaining the Bortoleto slipstream.
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko didn't mind that his driver helped a rival.
"The McLaren times were unattainable for us," the Austrian admitted.
"We tried everything - playing around with the tyre pressures - but in the end, we simply lacked grip. Everyone has had difficulties, but the temperatures have affected us more than the others and we need to find out why our car is changing so much."
Red Bull's tricky weekend is under the watchful eye of Mark Mateschitz, the heir of the famous energy drink co-founded by his late father Dietrich.
Amid the resurfaced Verstappen-to-Mercedes rumours, Marko's frustration is palpable.
"This story that everyone wants Max is becoming boring," he told Sky Italia.
"He has a contract with us until 2028 and as long as we give him a competitive car there is no reason why he should leave.
"He has a lot of freedom with us that he would not have with Mercedes," Marko added.
Mercedes' Toto Wolff hasn't been shy to add spice to the rumours at Red Bull's home race.
"I think the chance that Max will come to us is small," said the Austrian. "Max is a loyal guy and I don't think he'll jump at the first opportunity even if he feels that things are going south there.
"But although we have a perfect lineup already, I would be a bad team boss if I didn't deal with a four-time world champion, should he be available."
However, Wolff is also keen to reassure the on-form incumbent, George Russell.
"Out of respect for him, we will make a decision soon. But perhaps we won't communicate it immediately," he said.
"We want to have clarity before the summer (break)."
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