Max Verstappen's Red Bull future was secured in a 20-minute conversation with Helmut Marko, despite Mercedes' long-standing interest in the four-time world champion.
Mercedes' interest in Verstappen is nothing new. It was clear when the Dutchman was just a teenager that he was going to be a Formula 1 superstar of the future. That potential has been realised, Verstappen now a four-time world champion and, as recently as last year, the subject of further interest from the Silver Arrows.
But that was certainly not the first time Toto Wolff set his sights on signing him. He was in talks with Verstappen's father, Jos, and manager, Raymond Vermeulen, when the youngster was still racing in the junior ranks. What he could not offer, though, was a direct route into F1 at the time.
Red Bull's advantage
And that is where Red Bull had the advantage. They were the ones who secured his signature with the promise of an F1 drive in 2015 when he was just 17 years old, with their junior outfit Toro Rosso, while Mercedes were unwilling to break up the pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to make room for Verstappen.
Recalling how the negotiations went, Jos revealed it was a simple 20-minute conversation with Helmut Marko which secured his son's promotion to F1 as part of the Red Bull setup. He said: "We already had the same team around us – manager Raymond Vermeulen, who is a good friend of mine. It was him, Max, and me, and that’s still the case today. So we were very well prepared.
"Toto Wolff and Helmut Marko were both in talks with us. They were pushing to sign him. And we did our job – finding the best environment for Max. I remember [the conversation] well. I was at Hockenheim, and it was a typical conversation with Helmut.
The decisive conversation
"He came over to our table and said, 'I only have 20 minutes'. I told him that was more than enough time to talk. His opening line was, 'I want Max with us in F1 next year'. I was very surprised that he said that, so I replied, 'Okay, Helmut, let's do it, but for two years, not just one'.
"Because Max was so young, I thought he needed a first year to settle in, and that he could then show how good he was in the second year. But he adapted so well. He had such a great first year in 2015 that they promoted him to Red Bull as early as the second year. That was a good thing."
Wolff's regret
While Red Bull's junior team gave them the flexibility they needed to fast-track Verstappen into F1, Wolff said it was "never an option" for him despite being keen on the young Dutchman. He said: "They came to my office in Brackley and that must have been when Max was in karting or the end of his karting days [in 2013] just before Formula 3 [in 2014].
"We spoke again when Max and Jos visited me in my house in Vienna. We spent a few hours discussing his future. Do I regret missing out on Max? Certainly. But it wasn't an option back in the day. We had two drivers that I was extremely happy with, in Nico and Lewis, and when Nico left [at the end of 2016], Valtteri [Bottas] was then the option and Max wasn't even available."
