The 2025 F1 driver market story seems like the slowest thriller ever written. Every month, there are hundreds of rumors, only to culminate in one driver signing with a team. At Mercedes, only the former is happening—a speculated tug-of-war between Max Verstappen and 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli with no end on the horizon. The motivation for Team Principal Toto Wolff to sign either stems from one crucial event that transpired 10 years ago.

In 2014, Wolff missed the opportunity to sign a 17-year-old Max Verstappen to Mercedes, which Red Bull grabbed with both hands. With the Dutchman now en route to his fourth consecutive championship, Wolff regrets that day. As a result, he views 17-year-old Antonelli as his chance at redemption. To Mercedes’ luck, F1 has even tweaked the age-limit rule, which ironically was enforced because of Verstappen’s early debut, to allow drivers under 18 to compete if certain conditions are met. However, F1 Journalist Tim Hauraney reveals that the Mercedes boss is still eyeing the source cause of his headache rather than the next-generation prodigy.

“I was saying, ‘Hey, you are very good with driver talent and spotting it’,” Hauraney said on his ‘Nailing the Apex’ podcast about his interview with Toto Wolff. “I was trying to talk to him about Antonelli, and he took it down the Max Verstappen route, saying, ‘Yeah, I just missed out on Max Verstappen’. This isn’t the first time he’s said it. He’s said it before in the press. This just goes to show you he’s still iterating it, meaning that he still wants to try and get him. I don’t think he’s stopped trying to get Max Verstappen to Mercedes. It still feels like he’s going after him, whether it’s for next year or 2026.”

Harauney’s revelation is surprising but extinguished by former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya’s prediction. The Colombian confidently claimed he could “bet money” on Verstappen not quitting a “winning” Red Bull team for Mercedes. However, the Silver Arrows aren’t destined to rot in the midfield.

Toto Wolff reveals Mercedes has “new staff” and “new (car) parts” coming

In Canada, Mercedes showed a groundbreaking first sign of a comeback. Even Max Verstappen admitted that the W15 was the fastest car on the track. Their revolutionary front wing upgrade boosted performance. With floor upgrades lined up for the Spanish GP, and new personnel incoming, Toto Wolff is ushering in a new era.

“I think, definitely, since Imola, we have taken the right steps and put parts on the car that were working,” Wolff said in Canada. “That is something that we were struggling [with] in the past couple of years. And now, directionally, we seem to be adding performance every weekend. And with new staff coming, also new parts coming in Barcelona, that should help us.”

Could the Barcelona-led triple header be the turning point for the Brackley outfit? Has Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton made an ill-timed team switch? Will Max Verstappen be the guiding light for Mercedes‘ new future? There are so many questions to be answered, but a waiting game is all we can play.