SPIELBERG, Austria – Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff on June 27 suggested he was interested in signing Max Verstappen to partner George Russell in a potentially explosive driver line-up for the 2026 season.
During a series of interviews, it emerged that he had made contact with the four-time world champion and that this had affected contract talks with Russell who has been in outstanding form this year.
Russell told Sky Sports F1 that it was entirely “normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing”, adding that a team that aims to win the championship has to go for the best drivers, engineers and pit-crews to succeed.
“But from my side, if I’m performing as I’m doing, what have I got to be concerned about? There are two seats in every Formula 1 team.”
Wolff has flirted with the idea of recruiting Verstappen for some time, but also expressed satisfaction with the current partnership of Russell and teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli – a precocious talent, but not yet an experienced or metronomic points-scorer.
It may be, as many seasoned observers believe, that Wolff feels he can manage the testy rivalry between Russell and Verstappen, who have clashed several times in the last year both on and off the track.
But, he conceded, it remains much more likely that Russell will stay at Mercedes in 2026 – his contract ends this season – than that Verstappen, who is contracted to Red Bull until 2028, will arrive.
“He has been part of our programme for 10 years,” Wolff said. “He’s always performed to the expectations and he’s continuing to do so. These are normal business contract discussions as I have been doing for 30 years… And contract discussions are not held in Town Halls.”
He added in a separate interview: “At the moment, clearly you need to explore what’s happening in the future, but it doesn’t change anything of what I said before about George, about Kimi, about the line-up that I’m extremely happy having”.
Verstappen declined to comment on the speculation when asked in a news conference on June 26, but he is known to be frustrated with his Red Bull car this year.
“I don’t think we need to talk about that,” the 27-year-old said. “It’s not really on my mind. Just driving well, trying to push the performance and then we focus on next year.”
Much may depend on events at Red Bull where long-serving team consultant Helmut Marko is a key part of Verstappen’s inner circle, but may be considering his own future amid reports that four-time champion Sebastian Vettel has been approached to replace him.
In the wake of the departures of F1’s most successful designer Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber-Audi, it could be that Verstappen is also ready to leave.
Next year will see F1 move into a new era with major rule changes requiring new engines and new cars – an opportunity that may favour a Mercedes revival. AFP
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