Max Verstappen has admitted what his attitude was when Mercedes F1 contacted him about a possible transfer from 2025 during the season.
Mercedes had interest in a surprise Verstappen transfer earlier this year. Internal conflicts at Red Bull – centered on Christian Horner – have called Verstappen's future into question.
Toto Wolff made public comments about his desire for Verstappen when he needed a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who left for Ferrari.
“It’s always important to keep your options open,” Verstappen said when asked what he thought of Wolff's contacts with his management.
“But it was very clear that it wasn't in the cards. I was winning here at the start of the year.”
“And then when you're in trouble, running away immediately doesn't sit well with me. It's not fair to anyone.”
“I'm loyal to this team for what they've done for me. And it goes both ways.”
Verstappen has reiterated his intention to spend his entire racing career with Red Bull Racing if conditions remain right.
“You'd rather not have to deal with all this political stuff. I've always tried to focus on performance, working with the engineers and trying not to screw it up. I have a very good relationship with Horner. It's a strong relationship.”
“I don't think it's necessary to leave Red Bull. It's not a wish on my part. I'm just happy where I am. And it would also be very nice if you could just stay with one team and there to run forever. I would like to believe in it.
“It's not like I have to try to win the world championship somewhere else. It's not a desire on my part.”
Verstappen also revealed he is not worried about his legacy in the sport.
“Absolutely not. I don't value my success based on what other people say. If I'm happy, that's all that matters. In sport, you also need a bit of luck to stay on the right team for a long time . It doesn't mean that the guy with the most titles is actually the best.”
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