Jos Verstappen, the father of F1 Championship leader Max, has said that his son is unlikely to leave Red Bull for Mercedes anytime soon.
Verstappen was approached by Mercedes in 2014, as the Silver Arrows looked to lure him away from Red Bull’s junior driver programme.
However, the Dutchman decided to stick with Red Bull, as there was a concrete offer on the table for a drive at Toro Rosso the following season.
Prior to 2021, Red Bull failed to provide Verstappen with a car capable of consistently fighting for grand prix wins, but this year’s strong campaign appears to have eliminated the risk of the 24-year-old leaving the Milton Keynes-based outfit anytime soon.
‘Bad loser’ Wolff
In an interview with the Netherlands-based De Limburger newspaper, Jos Verstappen said he and his son are in a “good place” at Red Bull, and he said they no longer have a relationship with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
“Here at Red Bull Racing we are in a good place,” Jos said.
“There have been conversations with Toto Wolff and I also thought we had a good relationship with him, but the real Toto has shown himself lately.
“There is no relationship anymore,” he added.
Asked if the Austrian is a “bad loser”, the Dutchman answered: “You could say that, yes.”
READ: ‘You didn’t tell me, man’: Hamilton blames Mercedes for Mazepin, Gasly near-misses
Continuing, he said that he believes Wolff’s behaviour has changed due to Red Bull giving Mercedes a run for their money this year.
“Mercedes was, of course, leading for years. Now they are cornered for the first time and you see another Toto.
“It’s a shame, but that’s how you get to know people.”
Jos added that there is currently no need for Verstappen to switch teams, and they are both pleased to be working closely with Dr Helmut Marko at Red Bull.
“It also has to do with Helmut Marko,” Jos said.
“All three of us – Max, Raymond [Vermeulen, his manager] and I – click perfectly with him.
“No bullsh*t, straightforward. We are similar in character. Sometimes it gets tough and we tell each other the truth. But Formula 1 is tough.
“Trying to hold your own in this world, in whatever area. We know what we want. And if it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t fit and vague talk is of no use. But that is not the case.”
Follow us on Google News to never miss an F1 story