Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

From the archive: When Niki Lauda led an F1 driver strike in 1982

Feature
Formula 1
From the archive: When Niki Lauda led an F1 driver strike in 1982

'Antonelli and Sinner, Sinner and Antonelli' - Italy should handle its latest sporting hero with care

Feature
Formula 1
Miami GP
'Antonelli and Sinner, Sinner and Antonelli' - Italy should handle its latest sporting hero with care

Sky Sports extends F1 live broadcast contract

Formula 1
Miami GP
Sky Sports extends F1 live broadcast contract

The intrigue sparked by Red Bull's Miami sidepod design

Feature
Formula 1
Miami GP
The intrigue sparked by Red Bull's Miami sidepod design

MotoGP confident it will "reach an agreement" with manufacturers over commercial cycle

MotoGP
Catalan GP
MotoGP confident it will "reach an agreement" with manufacturers over commercial cycle

How over the course of two decades GT3 became modern motorsport’s greatest success

Feature
GT
How over the course of two decades GT3 became modern motorsport’s greatest success

Why time is running out to make bigger F1 power unit changes for 2027

Formula 1
Miami GP
Why time is running out to make bigger F1 power unit changes for 2027

Where will ‘yo-yo’ F1 racing return?

Feature
Formula 1
Miami GP
Where will ‘yo-yo’ F1 racing return?

Toto Wolff plays down meeting with Jos Verstappen in F1 paddock at Monza

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has played down the significance of a meeting with Jos Verstappen at the Italian Grand Prix, but he concedes the Dutchman's son Max is on his team's radar

After a recent run of reliability problems, Max Verstappen's long-term future at Red Bull has been thrown into doubt.

Verstappen is currently committed to Red Bull for 2018 but there are understood to be some options that could allow him to leave as early as 2019.

A chat between his father Jos and Wolff at Mercedes on Friday at Monza fuelled speculation about Verstappen's future, but the Mercedes boss insists the meeting was just a social one.

"I've known Jos for many years," Wolff told Sky Germany about the meeting. "We have a common friend, Frank. He is on a visit here.

"So Niki [Lauda] and I sat in the office. Our Dutch friends came along and we had a coffee with them. Not more, not less."

Asked whether there was any interest in Verstappen as a Mercedes driver in the future, Wolff said: "For next year no interest in Max Verstappen. He is not available."

However, Wolff said that Mercedes was keeping an eye on a host of youngsters for 2019 onwards.

"He is one of the names you have to have on the radar," he said. "Max is one of the future stars of Formula 1.

"Like many others, like Valtteri [Bottas], like Daniel [Ricciardo]. Max and Esteban Ocon are part of this group of drivers as well."

Mercedes will keep Valtteri Bottas for 2018 after a strong first campaign for the team, but there remain questions about how long his contract extension will be.

Wolff added: "It's all about the details. It's a no-brainer to continue with Valtteri.

"He has done a really good job this year. He's had his lows as well, which he needs to understand. But we couldn't expect more from his first year."

Previous article Williams doesn't know why it was fast in F1 qualifying at Monza
Next article Renault will not add fourth F1 engine supply for McLaren in 2018

Top Comments

Latest news