Toto Wolff reignited his war of words with Christian Horner as he hinted Max Verstappen could still join his Mercedes team next year, claiming ‘other factors’ would be at play than just race pace.

Verstappen claimed an emphatic victory at the Chinese Grand Prix to extend his lead in the championship to 25 points and remains under contract with Red Bull until 2028.

There was speculation, though, over his future after Horner was accused of sexual harassment and controlling behaviour by a female employee. The Red Bull team principal, who has always denied the allegations, was later cleared in an internal inquiry.

Wolff has publicly engaged with the idea of bringing Verstappen to Mercedes and previously called it something that ‘needs to happen at some stage’. And the Austrian stoked the fires again in Shanghai.

‘There are so many factors that play a role for a driver joining,’ said Wolff, who has also previously conceded that ‘Red Bull is the quickest car so that will always be the priority’.

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Max Verstappen’s future was again the subject of speculation after his victory in Shanghai

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Mercedes chief Toto Wolff (left) once again mentioned Verstappen’s Red Bull future, only to be given a stiff rejoinder by Christian Horner (right)