Toto Wolff said he would "love" for Max Verstappen to join Mercedes next year, but suspects his team's car is not competitive enough to lure the reigning champion away from Red Bull.
Despite winning the opening two rounds of the 2024 season, Verstappen has been linked with a move away from Red Bull as a result of a series of controversies and divisions within the team.
Amid suggestions this week that close ally Helmut Marko could be suspended, Verstappen hinted that his own presence at Red Bull is contingent on the 80-year-old staying in his position.
With Lewis Hamilton set to move from Mercedes to Ferrari at the end of this season, Wolff said he would willingly provide a seat for Verstappen in 2025 but suspects the current Mercedes car is not competitive enough to tempt him to move.
"Let's word it like this, I think this is a decision that Max needs to take but there is no team up and down the grid that wouldn't do handstands to have him in the car," Wolff said.
"I'd love to have him, but first we need to sort out our car. First, we owe it to George [Russell] and Lewis to improve the car and give them equipment that is good before dreaming about the future next year."
Wolff suspects Verstappen, his father Jos and his manager Raymond Vermeulen will ultimately be won over by the dominant performance of Red Bull.
"Like I said before, a driver will always try to be in the fastest possible car," he added. "That gives you the best chances of winning races and championships and this is where Max is at the moment.
"But Max is also ... Jos and Max and Raymond are also people who are very straight, sometimes uncomfortably straight, and I think that's something they will make up their mind [on]. But I think fundamentally a racing driver is calibrated to be in the best car."