Max Verstappen recalls shock Toto Wolff holiday: 'Oh shit...'

Max Verstappen has addressed his surprise holiday with Toto Wolff in Sardinia over the F1 summer break, detailing his initial reaction when he realised he had inadvertently chosen the same vacation spot as the Mercedes boss.

It was a chance meeting that added further fuel to the fire of speculation surrounding the Dutchman and the Brackley-based squad.

Despite the four-time F1 drivers' champion having already committed his immediate future to Red Bull, it added to the existing narrative that he would like to team up with Wolff at Mercedes at some point down the road. 

Earlier in the season, whilst he struggled with the inadequacies of the RB21, he entered talks with the Austrian over a potential switch, despite already being contracted at the Milton Keynes team until the end of 2028.

However, he ultimately decided to stay put during the lead-up to the F1-mandated summer shutdown, when fate intervened to place the 28-year-old on the same island as Wolff.

The two were spotted enjoying lunch together on a yacht, which re-enflamed the rumour mill surrounding the pair, with the Mercedes team principal making clear in the past his desire to sign Verstappen, having missed out on his signature a decade prior.

When asked about the sighting during his end-of-year Viaplay interview, and whether he is currently hearing anything about Mercedes, the 71-time grand prix winner replied: "No, not right now.

"I said clearly that I am staying. But the fact that we were on vacation next to each other didn't help, of course. But yes, you go on vacation. I like Sardinia, he likes Sardinia."

When pressed on whether it was by design, Verstappen insisted it was not. "No, no," he responded. "We arrived because at some point you know the nice places. 

"That your boat is there then... I literally arrived and thought, 'Oh shit!' Then you wave to each other, have lunch, and the kids play with each other."

However, he also saw the subsequent gossip coming, but is adamant that the suggestion that it was to talk shop is wide of the mark.

"Yes, you can follow the boat," he said. "That's part of it. If you end up being there, you talk about a lot of things, also outside of Formula 1.

"We get along very well. Of course, that has changed a lot since 2021. You can also have really nice conversations with him and with Susie (Wolff's wife, ed.). It's very cosy.

"I also think that's possible. A lot of people always think that if you talk to another team boss, for example, that it's immediately about your contract.

"Apparently, people think that's not allowed or possible. I think I'm also a little more relaxed in my life now, so it's also important to enjoy a little bit, right?"