Max Verstappen and Toto Wolff arrive for crunch talks over Mercedes move

Max Verstappen and Toto Wolff have reportedly arrived in Sardinia ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix for what could be crunch talks over a stunning move to Mercedes F1 team.

Eagle-eyed social media users appear to have spotted both Verstappen and Wolff in Sardinia in a week which has already seen major change confirmed at the Dutchman's current team, Red Bull.

F1 HEADLINES: Verstappen Red Bull era ENDS as rivals announce major contract for star driver

Following the British GP last time out, the Milton Keynes-based outfit announced, somewhat out of the blue, that team principal Christian Horner had been sacked with immediate effect, with ex-Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies taking over.

Red Bull did not provide explicit reasoning for the major management reshuffle, but with Mercedes boss Wolff confirming his interest in Verstappen and the four-time champion refusing to talk on the topic, fans and pundits alike have gone wild over a potential driver signing.

To add fuel to the fire, images of the latest journey of the 27-year-old's private jet have surfaced on social media platform 'X', claiming that the aircraft just touched down in Italy.

And it appears as though there could be some truth to these theories with ex-F1 star and Sky Germany pundit Ralf Schumacher having also weighed in on the duo's relationship.

Following the news of Red Bull's immediate change in leadership, Schumacher told Formel1.de that the chance of Verstappen moving to Mercedes, 'certainly hasn’t decreased'.

"What matters to Max Verstappen is having a car that wins – or at least can win," he said. "Now it’s up to Mekies. I hope he can bring some peace to the team and restore that family atmosphere quickly. And I think he can.

"I’m quite sure that everyone will take a deep breath now. And then we’ll see. The problem is: I’m struggling to imagine how Pierre Wache is suddenly supposed to build a car that’s genuinely fast. I do believe that the car, in the wind tunnel – purely based on its data, without wind or roll effects – looks excellent.

"But the difference between him and Adrian Newey is that Adrian knows what happens when the wind hits from the side, when the car rotates, shifts, reacts. He knows which compromises to make so the car stays driveable. I’m still having a hard time seeing how Wache can do that – and how he’s going to convince Max to stay. Because this season won’t turn around anymore, and Max wants to win again. I’m sure of that."

Ralf Schumacher weighs in on pivotal Wolff meeting

Schumacher, brother of F1 legend and former Mercedes star Michael, further weighed up Verstappen's options in the sport, implying the four-time champion will go for an all or nothing approach in his next contract.

"It’s quite simple. If he does stay, I don’t think it’ll be just for 2026 – he’d stay beyond that. Otherwise, I believe he’ll announce a move this year. I think that announcement will come after the summer break," he declared.

When asked to clarify if he thought the announcement would come after the summer break or the actual move, Schumacher stated: "An announcement that he’s leaving, yes. I think it’s pretty clear what Max wants. And 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.

"I think on Sunday, it hit him that even he can’t save this anymore – and that really affected him. After the race, it was obvious to me. And once you feel like something is beyond saving, it’s hard to come back from that.

"But as I said, there’s still time until the summer break. I’m sure that’s when he’ll announce his decision. 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," he concluded.

READ MORE: Reason for Christian Horner's Red Bull sacking 'revealed'

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