The Mercedes boss discovered himself on the receiving finish of scathing remarks from Mintzlaff over the Miami Grand Prix weekend, with the power drinks firm’s managing director not blissful about Mercedes attempting to lure Verstappen away from his present squad.
Mintzlaff instructed Bild Am Sonntag: “I perceive the stress that Toto Wolff and maybe different groups have after years of being behind. However I feel Toto Wolff ought to consider his challenges. He has sufficient of these.
“And it additionally has one thing to do with respect. If I preserve speaking concerning the personnel of different groups, that is not proper.”
Wolff is completely unmoved by what was mentioned, although, and recommended that what Mintzlaff was speaking about was irrelevant to him.
“I do not know what this man is commenting on,” mentioned Wolff. “It has no relevance for me.”
There have been experiences – which Wolff has denied – of Mercedes lining up a gathering with Verstappen and his representatives this week to debate a possible 2025 deal.
Nevertheless, Wolff has made clear that he continues to maintain a watching temporary over developments, though it’s too early to be definitive about his squad’s second driver plans for 2025.
Oliver Mintzlaff, Managing Director, Crimson Bull GmbH
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“There’s at all times loads of conferences,” he mentioned. “I can not actually say [anything definite] concerning the second driver. I feel we have talked concerning the potentialities, and I need to be honest to those guys and never make it appear like we’re enjoying chess with people as a result of we aren’t doing that.
“We need to take our time, see the place Max’s considering goes and, on the identical time, monitor the opposite drivers.
“Carlos [Sainz] was very sturdy as we speak once more and that is why we’re just a little bit on an statement mode for the time being.”
Whereas Mercedes waits to see what Verstappen decides in the long run, its different apparent possibility is junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The Italian teen was on the centre of hypothesis over the Miami weekend a few potential step as much as Williams quickly, with it understood that the squad has requested the FIA for an F1 superlicence exemption for him as a result of he’s underneath 18.
Wolff mentioned that Mercedes has no real interest in him racing in F1 now because it desires him to concentrate on doing his greatest in F2.
“So many tales have been created, and it does not do him any favours as a result of he wants to focus on his F2 marketing campaign,” added Wolff.
“He is doing numerous testing for us in an effort to deliver him in control and I feel this resolution of the second driver is weeks if not months away. We did not make any method to the FIA about getting an earlier launch.”