Toto Wolff provides insight into Max Verstappen-Mercedes negotiations

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has shared insight into the conversations he had with Max Verstappen over a potential shock swoop for the four-time champion.

Verstappen was long linked with a move away from Red Bull at the end of the current campaign, with Mercedes being labelled as a potential destination.

The Dutchman failed to commit his future to the Milton Keynes-based outfit on numerous occasions amid suggestions that a performance clause existed in his contract.

Prior to the summer break however, Verstappen finally declared that he would be staying put at Red Bull next year - despite interest from Mercedes.

Speaking to select media including RacingNews365, Wolff insisted the conditions of a potential deal never favoured both parties. 

“It was never that one dimension of 'have we got a shot?'” Wolff stated.

“It was more 'does it make sense from the Mercedes perspective?' and 'does that make sense from the Verstappen perspective?'

“And it never came to the point where you could say, ‘well, we’ll give it a shot’.”

Mercedes 'not afraid' to field Max Verstappen alongside F1 star

Mercedes is yet to confirm its driver line-up for next year - however George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are widely expected to stay in place.

Wolff asserted he had no desire to put strain on his current drivers by talking with Verstappen, insisting he was carrying out his due diligence as a team boss.

“It is my obligation as a team principal here to explore what a four-time world champion is going to do in the future and what his situation is,” he said.

“Any driver out there will say that Max, as it stands, is probably the best. That's not a secret.

“Every team needs to go for the best driver. Sometimes you can't have the best at the moment. Sometimes you need to wait for a time and sometimes you need to develop the best.

“For me today, what we have is a very good combination. Let's see what it is in two or three years. It may be different.

“It never came to the situation where it was like, ‘okay, we are going to do this’. Not on Max's side, nor on my side.”

Wolff did not rule out the possibility of linking up with Verstappen in the future, and insisted he has no concerns over placing him alongside an already proven F1 star.

“It’s difficult, but these guys have learned to perform under pressure,” Wolff said.

“George is the first one to acknowledge ‘I just need to constantly perform and if I constantly perform that, then the team has no reason to ever doubt my position’.

“We need the two best drivers in the car. I'm not afraid of having the two best in the car.

“We've had that situation with Nico [Rosberg] and Lewis [Hamilton], and that is going to continue my plan for the future, whatever the driver combination can be in the future.”