A very public chat between Max Verstappen’s father Jos and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff in the Canadian Grand Prix paddock had Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies smiling when asked about it on Friday.
One reporter suggested the ‘pantomime’ outside the Mercedes motorhome was an attempt to put the pressure on.
Mercedes has been open in the past about its interest in the four-time world champion and currently has the best car on the grid, with four wins out of four this season.
“As much as it may sound exciting to see that from the outside, I really don’t think there is an intention particularly behind it,” Mekies told reporters.
“If any of these guys want to have a chat, it’s going to be a story anyway. So, we speak all the time with Max and with Jos, and it’s completely natural that they can have a conversation with Toto.”
Mekies also noted that Verstappen raced in a Mercedes GT3 at the Nuerburgring 24 Hours last weekend, making the contact less unusual.
“I generally don’t think it’s part of a game plan to get a message or another through,” he said.
Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028 but has hinted he could walk away from Formula One.
READ: Mercedes’ George Russell takes pole for F1 sprint race at Canadian Grand Prix
The Dutchman, however, said on Thursday that planned changes to the sport’s 2027 engine regulations had increased the likelihood of him staying.
“We always have this joke; we are not going to ask Max every week if he’s going to stay,” Mekies said, adding that the 28-year-old remained central to Red Bull’s plans.
“Max is telling us he’s happy at Red Bull, he’s involved in every strategic decision we are making, and he’s at the heart of the project.”
Mekies also joked that Red Bull had an arrangement with Verstappen for when things became risky at the Nuerburgring.
“We had a deal whereby when he was taking a bit too much risk, he would hide the onboard (camera) just for all of us to be a bit more relaxed,” he said.
“He missed the win by not much there, but certainly his speed was incredible, and he came back with a big smile full of motivation for this Grand Prix. It’s great that he’s so in love with the sport.”
Mekies still sure Lambiase is joining McLaren to become principal
Mekies stood by his opinion that Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase was joining McLaren to become principal, despite incumbent Andrea Stella insisting he was staying.
Mekies first made the assertion at the Miami Grand Prix this month, with McLaren Chief Executive Zak Brown replying that the Frenchman clearly “knows something I don’t”.
“Look, it’s certainly my understanding that GP (Lambiase) is going to McLaren to become a team principal,” Mekies told an FIA news conference at the Canadian Grand Prix, with Stella also present, when asked about it again on Friday.
“That’s what I told you at the time (in Miami).
“Obviously, we had a number of conversations before he was going to make that decision. Now, don’t ask me if it’s going to happen. The timing of it is none of my business. I can just tell you the content of our conversations.”
McLaren announced Lambiase’s move in April, with his arrival set vaguely at a date no later than 2028, when his existing contract ends.
The side also said he would be joining as Chief Racing Officer in a supporting role to Stella.
Stella, whose team has won two consecutive constructors’ titles and Lando Norris’s drivers’ crown last year, has been linked in media speculation to Ferrari, while there has been talk of its Australian driver Oscar Piastri moving to Red Bull.
Some have also questioned whether four-time world champion Verstappen might follow Lambiase to McLaren, although Mekies said he was not worried about that happening.
Stella shrugged off the various suggestions on Friday, the Italian saying he was fully committed to McLaren, Piastri was happy, and it seemed the ‘silly season’ had already arrived.
“For us, it’s important to employ the best talents in Formula One because Zak and I want to build the strongest team,” he added.
“I have been part of the Ferrari team in the early 2000s, and I know what level of seniority, expertise, and leadership you need to be successful in the present and in the future.
“And employing GP is part of this vision ... of creating additive leadership that can integrate with the present leadership and create a stronger and stronger team at McLaren.
“I very strongly wanted GP to join McLaren. I am personally very stretched in my role as team principal, and I need a strong group of leaders working with me. So, I think the plan is very clear. Any other speculation leads us back to the silly season.”
Published on May 23, 2026