Toto Wolff has made Max Verstappen an offer to join Mercedes but \u201cintentionally\u201d lowballed the Dutchman as he already has his star for the future in Kimi Antonelli, claims Ralf Schumacher.<\/p>\n
Verstappen\u2019s Formula 1 future continues to be one of the big topics in the sport as the 28-year-old contemplates whether he even wants to continue in Formula 1, and if so, with Red Bull or with Mercedes.<\/p>\n
Max Verstappen Mercedes offer claim explained<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Verstappen<\/a> was in Austria in the build-up to the Spanish Grand Prix, where he met with Red Bull\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n The four-time world champion wouldn\u2019t be drawn on it when asked about the context of the meeting by PlanetF1\u2019s Thomas Maher.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there is anything new about what I\u2019m doing, I will let you know,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Although Verstappen has two years remaining on his long-term Red Bull deal, his future remains uncertain \u2013 at least from the outside \u2013 as Mercedes reportedly has not given up on signing Verstappen.<\/p>\n So much so, former F1 driver Schumacher claims that Mercedes team principal Wolff recently put an offer on the table.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Mercedes,\u201d Schumacher told the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, \u201cyou hear that Wolff has made him an offer behind the scenes.\u201d<\/p>\n But according to the German, Wolff lowballed Verstappen, who currently earns between $65 million and $70 million per year in base salary alone from Red Bull Racing.<\/p>\n Go deeper: Max Verstappen\u2019s Red Bull contract<\/p>\n F1 driver contracts: What is the contract status of every driver on the F1 2026 grid?<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2026 driver salaries: Who are the highest-paid drivers on the grid?<\/a><\/p>\n For Schumacher, though, that makes sense, as while Wolff may want Verstappen to join Mercedes, it\u2019s not a case of at any price, given that the Austrian has a future world champion in the ranks in Kimi Antonelli.<\/p>\n \u201cBut,\u201d continued Schumacher, \u201cthat offer was apparently so bad financially that it\u2019s not an option anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s apparently what\u2019s going on behind the scenes right now.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s intentional, because again, I\u2019ve said it before, why would Toto Wolff, if everything goes as planned, get an expensive Max Verstappen alongside Kimi Antonelli, the future superstar?\u201d<\/p>\n But while Mercedes may not be sold on its need to have Verstappen in the car, Schumacher claims Red Bull is and offered the driver a four-year extension.<\/p>\n Verstappen, he says, turned it down.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard they were desperate for Max to sign a contract until 2032,\u201d he claims. \u201cMax apparently refused and said, \u2018Well, I don\u2019t need that right now; I\u2019m on contract until 2028 anyway, so I\u2019d rather wait and see.’\u201d<\/p>\n The speculation about Verstappen\u2019s Formula 1 future is likely to rumble on for weeks, if not months.<\/p>\n Last year he put an end to that season\u2019s rumours at the Hungarian Grand Prix, finally deciding enough was enough.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s time to stop all the rumours now,\u201d he declared. \u201cIt was pretty entertaining to see all the nice stories over the last few months.<\/p>\n \u201cI have never said anything myself because I was just focused on talking to the team about how we could improve the performance.\u201d<\/p>\n This year he has even more reason to focus on the team and improving the RB22 with Red Bull arguably only the fourth best team on the grid behind Mercedes, Ferrari and potentially even McLaren.<\/p>\n Verstappen has secured a solitary podium in the opening seven grands prix and is seventh in the Drivers\u2019 standings<\/a> on 55 points, 101 behind championship leader Antonelli.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n