Toto Wolff and Max Verstappen's father were photographed chatting in the Canadian GP paddock, and the images sparked immediate speculation. Red Bull has spent two seasons fighting to keep Verstappen, who is contracted until 2028 with performance clauses tightening each year. Wolff has held discussions with Verstappen's camp about a potential move to Mercedes.

The meeting looked deliberately staged. Held outside the Mercedes hospitality unit in full view of the paddock, with media arriving for a Kimi Antonelli press conference, it was hardly covert. Bradley Lord, Mercedes' deputy team principal, joined the conversation.

Laurent Mekies dismissed the meeting as unremarkable, noting Red Bull speaks with Verstappen and his father regularly. But Verstappen's frustration remains real — he has threatened to leave F1 unless 2026 regulations addressing energy management are reformed. The proposed 60-40 split engine rule for 2027 could persuade him to stay, though the FIA's agreement in principle failed to secure majority support, leaving further talks this weekend.