Wolff upbeat with Mercedes squad amid Verstappen exit rumours: 'Couldn't wish for anything better'

17:23, 19 Apr

Updated: 17:30, 19 Apr

byToby Nixon

Toto Wolff has revealed that he 'couldn't wish' for a better driver lineup at Mercedes amid rumours of a possible Max Verstappen's Red Bull exit. The Mercedes team boss also reflected on FP3, hoping that his team will be able to challenge the McLaren's during a cooler qualifying session.

McLaren in 'a league of their own'

Speaking to Sky Sports after the final practice session of the weekend, the Mercedes CEO was first asked about the pace of the McLaren's. "It was very hot, their just in a league of their own," Wolff began, praising his rivals. "Amazing to see how good of a job they are doing. Amazing for them, less good for us.

"But we were solid best of the rest this session. We hope that it's going to come more towards us in terms of McLaren in qualifying in the evening," Wolff explained. The Mercedes has fundamentally been a quick car in cooler conditions, with the Austrian holding a similar hope for this evening.

'Superstar' Bottas helping Mercedes develop

The conversation then shifted to Wolff's opinion on his Mercedes driver lineup. After five solid seasons with Mercedes between 2017 and 2021, the Finn now finds himself as third driver in his former squad. His expertise has been very useful for 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli, Wolff revealed.

"With the new energy, with an 18-year-old in the car, it's almost like an easiness that we have. And then George brings in the lap times, and Valtteri's a contributor, clearly. Especially on those smooth tarmacs, he was a superstar back at Mercedes, and he's coaching him, Kimi's listening," Wolff stated, praising the internal efforts of his drivers.

"Sometimes Formula 1 drivers don't think they can learn from others, and Kimi is open-minded. They talk about how to handle the tyres, how to bring them in. And Valtteri seems to enjoy himself, while, of course, seeking another race seat opportunity."

Wolff: 'I'm super happy with the lineup that we have'

Mercedes sit second in the constructors championship after four rounds so far in 2025. George Russell has finished on the podium in three of these races, with Kimi Antonelli also making a solid start. Wolff continued, doubling down on the newfound sense of promise at Mercedes.

"We love him (Bottas), he's doing the same work, he's putting in the hours, he's developing next year's car, so it's strong. On a professional level, I'm super happy with the line-up we have."

There has been no contact with Max Verstappen's team, Wolff revealed. "I couldn't wish for anything better. Max is at Red Bull, we haven't had a conversation with continuing our trajectory."

Despite the easiness Wolff described, there is still a lot of work to do at the Silver Arrows. "We're not winning, so you can say, is it really working? We're all cheery and we have the occasional pole position of podium or win. It's not what we aim for, we'd like to win championships, but we don't feel a sense of accomplishment.

"We are doing much better than last year. It's a good feeling in the team, but we're not yet where we want to be," the Austrian concluded.