Verstappen and Wolff working together? Schumacher isn’t buying it
Max Verstappen teaming up with Toto Wolff at Mercedes still feels like a stretch to former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher. “I still can’t see Verstappen and Wolff truly clicking. For some reason, it just doesn’t quite fit,” he said.
The rumors about Verstappen possibly leaving Red Bull were everywhere during last summer’s break. They died down after Christian Horner weathered his controversy and Verstappen himself confirmed he was staying put.
But the gossip mill is churning again.
German publication Bild recently reported that Verstappen might be able to walk away from Red Bull in 2026 if he’s not in the top two of the championship standings by the summer break.
Schumacher, speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, thinks there’s really only one thing that would push Verstappen out the door.
“I think it would only really become a topic if, for whatever reason, the car stopped working,” he explained.
“On the other hand, where are the real alternatives?”
Schumacher doesn’t see the Mercedes boss and the four-time champion meshing well. And while other teams would jump at the chance to sign him, Verstappen’s current situation at Red Bull is pretty special.
“A team like McLaren would obviously do everything for Verstappen if they had the chance and a seat available. The same goes for Aston Martin,” Schumacher noted. “But this is very much a home environment for him, and I have to say that by the end of last year, Verstappen felt extremely comfortable there.”
What Verstappen has built at Red Bull isn’t something he could easily replicate elsewhere.
“You genuinely get the sense that it has become a single unit,” said Schumacher. “That’s why I wouldn’t question it at all right now. And where else would he have something like this? The team is basically his. You just have to say it as it is.”
## Red Bull colors on a Mercedes? It might actually happen
In a bizarre twist that sounds like fantasy, we might soon see a Red Bull-branded Mercedes race car—with Verstappen behind the wheel.
If Verstappen decides to compete in the 2026 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, he would race with Winward Racing. The team recently announced they’re taking on the legendary Nordschleife endurance challenge this season with a single Mercedes-AMG GT3.
For Verstappen to join, though, he has one major condition that must be met.
If the Dutch champion does enter the race, Winward would add a second Mercedes to their lineup. That car would feature full Red Bull colors—something never before seen on a Mercedes in competition with their longtime F1 rivals.
