F1 boss Toto Wolff reveals details of Max Verstappen meeting

Max Verstappen

Toto Wolff reveals details of Max Verstappen meeting

All innocent, apparently!

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Saturday 19 September 2026 09:45

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Toto Wolff has opened up on infamous pictures of him in the sea off the coast of Sardinia with Red Bull star Max Verstappen.

The pictures sparked all sorts of theories about Verstappen's future at Red Bull, with long-standing rumours that Mercedes were interested in bringing the Dutchman to their Brackley headquarters.

Those rumours and theories eventually came to nothing, with Red Bull announcing last month that they have signed the four-time world champion to a contract extension through the 2030 season.

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Wolff discussed the photos in a recent interview with Austrian outlet oe24, calling the social media storm around them 'completely unintentional', and commenting on the modern age where privacy is harder to come by.

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"That was completely unintentional," he said of the pictures. "In the age of social media, you can't really hide anymore, and we didn't want to.

"We were splashing around in the water and chatting. But it always feels like someone's swimming next to you with their phone, taking a picture and posting it online. I always find it funny what people worry about."

Verstappen's new long-term contract takes a Mercedes move out of his near-to-medium term future, at least in theory, with the Silver Arrows appearing content to ride with the pairing of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell for the time being.

Russell's contract status was a question for some time, but in the same interview, Wolff told oe24 that the paperwork has already been signed – with the team simply not putting out a big statement on the matter.

"That's already happened," he said when asked when the contract would be made official. "We just haven't issued a major statement. There's really nothing more to add."