Lewis Hamilton isn’t at the center of the Red Bull turmoil, but according to Leo Turrini, his shift to Ferrari paved the way for Toto Wolff to intensify the situation by discussing Max Verstappen’s potential move to Mercedes.
While Red Bull’s off-track drama persists, speculation about Verstappen’s potential departure for Mercedes remains a hot topic.
Despite tying his future with Red Bull to that of Helmut Marko, Verstappen‘s decision seemed uncertain. Marko’s affirmation in Saudi Arabia that he “will stay” following discussions with Red Bull’s higher-ups did little to quell the speculations.
Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, continues to advocate for Horner’s resignation, believing his continued presence amidst allegations could harm the team. He had previously warned that Red Bull is “in danger of being torn apart.”
The fact that Verstappen Sr. is acquainted with Mercedes motorsport chief Wolff has only fueled speculation further.
Wolff has not dismissed the idea of recruiting the younger Verstappen, expressing his enthusiasm by admitting he would “love to have him” join his team.
“Let’s word it like this,” he continued, “I think this is a decision that Max needs to take but there is no team up and down the grid that wouldn’t do handstands to have him in the car.”
Respected Italian journalist Turrini believes that Wolff is relishing the current scenario, with Hamilton’s choice to join Ferrari giving him an opportunity to weigh in on the Verstappen situation.
“Toto Wolff is doing his job, rubbing salt in the festering wound,” as written on his blog.
“And even here we don’t need Einstein: in an environment where everything is held, it was the great coup of John Elkann (read: Hamilton in red from 2025) that blew the cap.
“Because if a seven-time World Champion leaves Mercedes for Ferrari, it is clear that previously unthinkable hypotheses will multiply.
“Let me explain better: I’m not saying that Horner’s saga was born from Lewis’ move. Of course, that’s another story. But Verstappen’s father, on behalf of his son, winks at Toto because he is about to open up a void.”
Regarding the possibility of a switch from Red Bull to Mercedes, he commented, “I won’t make any predictions. Post-modern F1 seems like a crazy anthill.”
However, Turrini believes that competing for another team and clinching victories and championships outside of Red Bull would greatly enhance Verstappen’s status among Formula 1’s elite drivers.
“After that, I insist,” he stated, “the real trouble is if he always wins with the same car with the same driver.”
However, as he highlighted, no one has achieved such dominance quite like Verstappen. “Schumi didn’t win 18 out of 19 GPs, Senna didn’t win them, Hamilton didn’t win them. Super Max won them,” he concluded.
On the other hand, Horner has stated that if Verstappen desires to depart, Red Bull won’t obstruct his path, even though the driver is under contract until 2028.
“You can never say never,” He commented on the Dutchman’s departure from Red Bull. “If a driver doesn’t want to be somewhere, then they’ll go somewhere else.
“It’s like anything in life, you can’t force somebody to be somewhere just because of a piece of paper. If somebody didn’t want to be at this team, then we’re not going to force somebody against their will to be here.”
