Mercedes boss to jet out on Max Verstappen scouting mission - F1 Insider

Verstappen and Wolff smiling with the Mercedes AMG car on the Nurburgring in the background — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Mercedes boss to jet out on Max Verstappen scouting mission - F1 Insider

Verstappen is swapping Red Bull for the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing this weekend

By Kerry Violet.

Friday 15 May 2026 19:00

The Toto Wolff and Max Verstappen gossip has taken another twist, with a motorsport insider claiming the Mercedes boss may head to the Nürburgring this weekend to watch the Dutchman in action.

Verstappen will step away from his usual Red Bull surroundings for the endurance classic, driving the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo under the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing banner.

He is set to compete alongside Jules Gounon, Dani Juncadella and Lucas Auer at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, which runs from Thursday, May 14 through Sunday, May 17.

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For the first time in it's 56-year history, the Nurburgring have announced that the event has sold out, with organisers even warning fans not to travel to West Germany without a ticket. Evidence of the Verstappen effect!

Thousands of fans will already be on their way to the Green Hell, and according to F1 photographer Kym Illman, Mercedes team principal Wolff may even be joining them.

Do Mercedes F1 team still have an interest in signing Verstappen?

In a recent video on his YouTube channel which was posted ahead of the legendary endurance event, Illman said: "Will Toto Wolff be flying in to give support? I'm going to say yes.

"It's a dream pairing for Toto, who I think wants to see Max in a Mercedes some point."

It may be a bit of a stretch to suggest Verstappen's involvement with Mercedes indicates a future F1 team switch to the Silver Arrows. After all, Red Bull don't even manufacture their own GT3 cars.

However, there is no smoke without fire and it was previously reported that Wolff was instrumental in Mercedes-AMG's request to have the NLS1 race date postponed so Verstappen could participate in preparation for the 24-hour event.

What's more is that Wolff has been neither dishonest nor shy about his interest in the Dutchman's talents in the past, telling media last summer that he wouldn't be doing his job as the CEO and team principal of Mercedes F1 team if he didn't keep an eye on the future plans of a driver of Verstappen's calibre.

Wolff was quoted as saying last season: "As team principal of the best car brand in the world, it's clear you explore what a four-time world champion will do in the future, and that could be long into the future."

So who knows, could this weekend's partnership at the Nurburgring be the start of something special for Wolff, Verstappen, and the iconic German F1 team?

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Mercedes Toto Wolff Nürburgring