Max Verstappen has revealed details of the conversations he held with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff last year.
Wolff publicly pursued Verstappen's signature in 2024 amid unrest at the Red Bull team, as he searched to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
The Austrian has since cooled his interest and has signalled his intent to retain George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli into 2026.
Verstappen was once a major rival of Mercedes, as he endured a fierce rivalry with Lewis Hamilton in 2021 when they battled for the championship.
The conversation that took place last year between Verstappen and Wolff mended the scars of the brutal title scrap.
"I think it was our first real conversation since 2021," Verstappen revealed to De Telegraaf. "We corrected a few things from that year."
Verstappen also suggested the talks did not solely relate to establishing a partnership in F1, hinting a future collaboration could come away from the series.
"We also talked a little bit about the future perspective," Verstappen said. "But for me it’s not just about F1. I do a lot of things with Red Bull.
"Everyone always thinks that decisions about my future are purely based on what’s going on here in this world, but I’m working on a lot more.
"There’s more than ‘project F1’. That’s not something that every team can just offer."
Also interesting:
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