Toto Wolff’s determination to sign Max Verstappen is absolute. It has been ever since he realised how big a mistake he’d made by missing out on the Dutchman in 2014.

Within two years, Verstappen had become the youngest Grand Prix winner in F1 history. He was still raw at that time, but he soon took control of the Red Bull team, effectively forcing out Daniel Ricciardo.

In 2021, Verstappen won his first world championship, prevailing in one of F1’s greatest title battles against Lewis Hamilton. That sparked a run of four in a row, with Wolff’s Mercedes team hardly able to win a race amid his dominance.

One of the two McLaren drivers is poised to end Verstappen’s streak this year. And Wolff senses an opportunity to snap up the somewhat frustrated Dutchman for 2026, even at the expense of either George Russell or Kimi Antonelli.

Toto Wolff tried to sign Max Verstappen after the 2020 season

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Wolff made a move for Verstappen that ‘few know’ about. It came in the winter between the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Hamilton was the reigning world champion at that time, having won 11 races in a shortened campaign. Despite missing an event due to Covid-19, he finished 124 points ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas.

But his contract situation was causing concern at Mercedes. His extension was ‘delayed’, and eventually he signed a deal that only covered 2021.

In these circumstances, Wolff reached out to Verstappen’s camp to gauge the ‘possibility of a transfer’. The Red Bull driver had finished third in the championship that year, just nine points behind Bottas despite the vast superiority of the W11.

What Lewis Hamilton thinks of Mercedes’ interest in Max Verstappen

Four and a half years later, Wolff is pursuing Verstappen ‘more insistently’. The 27-year-old is expected to make his decision in the coming weeks.

While Mercedes are the favourites heading into 2026, Red Bull’s simulation data is deeply worrying. Christian Horner’s squad are building their own engine for the first time.

Speaking at the British Grand Prix, Hamilton said he would ‘of course’ recommend Mercedes to Verstappen. His 2020 triumph was the last of his six titles at Brackley.

However, Hamilton’s struggles at Ferrari are a warning to Verstappen, who’s used to a team and a car being built around him.