Max Verstappen has been instrumental in dethroning Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton from F1 championships. Since 2022, only Red Bull and the Dutch racer have bagged both constructor titles and Driver’s World Championships. No other team or driver came close to challenging their hegemony in the cost cap era. Since the ground effect rules came into play, Toto Wolff’s team has managed to win one single race back in the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix. They were winless in 2023. It was their first time since 2011. On the other hand, Max Verstappen alone won 34 races from 2022 to 2023.
It has been the next level of hegemony that an F1 racer has ever enjoyed. The Dutch driver broke so many records in the past two years. Moreover, he is about to break even many more this season. With the F1 Calendar increasing a race every year, the chances of the current three-time reigning champion breaking his own record of most wins in a season just get higher. Lately, there was a rumor that Max might join Mercedes as Hamilton’s replacement. Moreover, is there any possibility of Verstappen leaving Red Bull to join the Silver Arrows?
Toto Wolff Talked About Mercedes’ Potential Advantage With 2026 Regulations
Recently, Toto Wolff spoke to the media, including Sportskeeda, as he mentioned that the team is in a good place regarding their 2026 power unit. Moreover, the Austrian billionaire executive feels the current reigning champion might think about joining the right team in F1 after 2025, considering the new regulations in 2026. In fact, there was a question for Wolff about the possibility of convincing Max to join Mercedes maybe in 2026. Moreover, the Mercedes team principal replied, “I’m not really good at selling.” Clearly, Wolff does not believe in “Overselling.” But the boss of the Silver Arrows said that they are going through a development trajectory and that they have ambitious targets.
They believe it is essential to achieve these targets to perform on a high and strong level. Moreover, Toto Wolff mentioned that it might not be easy to sell anything to “Max Verstappen, his father Jos, and Raymond.” Adding to that, Wolff said that selling anything won’t change their combined understanding of motorsport. Moreover, Wolff said that it all comes down to how they feel about the future and which team they think can provide the best for them. The Mercedes boss did not want to claim anything with 100% confidence but said that they can be a good value proposition if they can produce a “Decent chassis.”
Wolff Tries To Use 2014 Success To Convince Top Prospects
How can Mercedes convince top drivers to join them? Toto Wolff mentioned that he has confidence in their abilities and resources in HPP. Albeit, he said that just because they got it right in 2014, does not mean they will get it right in 2026. Nevertheless, the Mercedes boss said that they are giving their best and leaving no stone unturned in terms of their efforts.
They believe their targets are high and ambitious enough. Hence, Wolff believes they will have a strong power unit in 2026. He added that 2014 was a big change of regulation and it was more like a journey to the unknown for them and every team. But Wolff feels it is a little bit of a similar situation.
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