Mercedes Denies Max Verstappen Meeting After Yacht Tracking Frenzy
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Max Verstappen and Mercedes frenzy got sent into overdrive after the Dutch driver's yacht was spotted near Toto Wolff's boat.
The internet has gone crazy tracking yachts and planes to figure out if Wolff and Verstappen are meeting.
Tracking services indicated that the Mercedes F1 CEO and Verstappen were in similar waters, but German news outlet Bild reports that no meeting between the parties took place, and it was "pure coincidence."
Bild reached out to sources at Mercedes who confirmed there was no meeting.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing answers questions in the TV media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 6, 2025 in Northampton, United...
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing answers questions in the TV media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 6, 2025 in Northampton, United Kingdom. More
Photo byBefore the Bild report came out, a photo of Wolff getting on Verstappen's jet was circulating, but it was a fake photo.
Another day, another round of fake news - This time accounts sharing photos of Toto Wolff boarding Max Verstappen's jet, claiming it's from Sardinia.
They're fake.
The screenshots are from a plane spotting video after the 2022 Zandvoort GP, where Wolff boards his own private… pic.twitter.com/3kpozHY3lz — Jeppe H. Olesen (@jeppe_olesen) July 12, 2025
The frenzy started after German F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher hinted at a potential meeting between both parties.
"I think it's pretty clear what Max wants," Schumacher told Formel1.de.
"GT3 is something he's passionate about. Mercedes is also launching a new car in that category soon, so... Right now, it doesn't feel like the odds are great for him staying.
"It's no coincidence either that this week, two yachts are cruising off Sardinia – one belongs to Toto Wolff, the other to Max Verstappen. And from what I hear, there's a good chance they might have had a coffee together.
"But what defines Max is that he won't take this decision lightly. He knows exactly who he owes his career to – besides himself and his father, of course – and that's ultimately Red Bull, the team that brought him to where he is today."
Verstappen is mulling over his future as championship hopes are all but gone.
Mercedes is intensely pursuing the driver and is the early favorite to produce the fastest car next season.
There is a new engine formula coming to the sport in 2026, and Mercedes is known to specialize in engine development.
Verstappen's current team, Red Bull, is in turmoil after sacking their team principal and CEO, Christian Horner.
While Horner reportedly fell out of favor with the Verstappen camp, he spent 20 years building the energy-drink racing team into an F1 powerhouse.
Horner brought Verstappen to the sport and built the entire race team around the Dutch superstar.
Verstappen won four consecutive titles under the leadership of Horner, but now the racing team lacks its shepherd who started the project.
The driver can jump off the seemingly sinking ship at Red Bull and join the surging Mercedes team.
Wolff and Verstappen may meet in the future to discuss a deal, but there has been no meeting during the break between the race in Silverstone and the Belgian Grand Prix.
More F1 news: How Lewis Hamilton Made the F1 Movie Production More Expensive
For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
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