Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko confirmed that tensions that previously existed between them had been removed due to their “shared values”.
The two Austrians had always had a cordial relationship before tempers flared in 2021 when Mercedes, Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen battled it out for the titles.
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Their friendship, which had recently begun to rekindle, became strained.
Wolff has made no secret of his desire for Max Verstappen to join his team, and earlier this season even went so far as to suggest that Marko could effectively become the “new Niki Lauda” for Mercedes due to his “lack of the old mascot”.
Marco is flattered by this remark. Speaking to OE24, he said: “It's nice but it's all out of reach. Our goal now is to calm the team down and win the world title, which will be difficult enough.”
At least Marco admits that the previous feud with Wolf has been removed. “There are no longer the tensions that we had in recent years,” he said. “I heard that we are now blood brothers, but this is clearly an exaggeration.”
“We realized we think alike”
It is understood Verstappen has a clause in his contract stating that if Marco leaves Red Bull, he can follow them out the exit door.
As for whether Marko discussed potential alternatives to Red Bull with Verstappen, he did not deny this. He said: “I am in constant contact with Max, we talk about everything.”
Wolff confirmed that he and Marco “are much closer now”, especially after the uproar surrounding team manager Christian Horner earlier this season.
“Despite the competition, there are common values that we stand for,” Wolf said. “With all the things that have happened in the last few months, we realized that we think the same way.”
When asked if it was conceivable that Verstappen and Marko could end up at Mercedes, Wolff made no criticism.
“It's not so much about Max as it is about the behavior of some people [at Red Bull] Where we think alike,” commented Wolf.
Wolff then explained that the three-time Formula 1 champion and his advisor could be at Mercedes in 2026. “Let's put it this way, anything is possible in Formula 1,” he concluded.
