This is how close Max Verstappen came to joining Mercedes or Ferrari
The course of history might have been changed had the budding superstar opted to join either of those teams instead of the team who won his signature, Red Bull.
Red Bull enter the F1 Austrian Grand Prix, their home race, on course for a second constructors’ championship in a row while Verstappen is set for a third consecutive drivers’ title.
Max’s father Jos Verstappen, himself a former F1 driver, has told a back-story of when they visited Toto Wolff for secret negotiations in 2014.
“We went to his house in Vienna, we had a serious discussion,” Jos told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“But I don’t think Toto had followed him much in karting and really knew how special Max was, otherwise he would have signed him blindfolded, even if Mercedes didn’t have a junior programme.”
The Verstappen and Wolff meeting came to nothing.
Shortly after, the teenager met Helmut Marko of Red Bull.
“We met [Helmut] in 2014 in Hockenheim,” Verstappen’s father said.
“We got into the Red Bull motorhome and joined the table.
“Helmut said, ‘I only have twenty minutes’. Next year I want to put Max on a Toro Rosso in F1′.
“The deal was done.”
Sure enough, Verstappen landed the 2015 Toro Rosso drive.
During his first-ever F1 season, as a 17 year old, Verstappen received interest from Ferrari.
The famous Italian team had Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen but, according to Verstappen’s dad, were sounding out replacements for Raikkonen.
“Not with the current management,” Verstappen’s dad explained.
“They looked for us after the first year in F1.
“Now Max has everything at Red Bull, a competitive car and team, it wouldn’t make sense to change.
“However, wherever he goes in the future he would make a difference if surrounded by the right people.”
Raikkonen remained at Ferrari for 2016. Verstappen started that year with Toro Rosso but, by March, was called up to Red Bull.
The rest is history.
