Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has acknowledged that the team is looking into the possibility of signing Max Verstappen in the future. However, he stated emphatically that this exploration is not causing any delays in the current contract negotiations with George Russell regarding the 2026 season.
Rumors about Verstappen potentially moving from Red Bull to Mercedes gained momentum recently after Russell reportedly suggested that discussions about his contract were being held up because his team was also pursuing the four-time world champion.
George Russell`s current contract with Mercedes concludes at the end of the current year. Mercedes also has a long-term agreement in place with 18-year-old junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Max Verstappen remains under contract with Red Bull until 2028. Nevertheless, Red Bull`s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, has publicly mentioned performance-related clauses that could potentially allow the 27-year-old driver to depart before his contract expires.
“First of all, there is no delay regarding George`s contract situation; our timelines have been quite clear for a long time,” Wolff explained to Sky Sports. “We have known each other for so long that the idea of a delay simply doesn`t exist.”
He continued, “But it is also natural, as a team principal responsible for the world`s best car brand, that you explore what a four-time world champion might do in the future, which could be quite far off. Yet, this has absolutely no bearing on us finalizing George`s contract.”
Wolff also confirmed that George Russell is fully aware of Mercedes` position concerning Verstappen.
“Within the team, we strive for transparency, and that`s how we operate,” the team boss added. “You can choose to keep things secret, or you can do what we`ve done for the past 20 years I`ve been here: be open about the situation.”
“These drivers are intelligent individuals, and they communicate with each other. I am always open about these matters, saying things as they are. There is no sense in saying, `We are going to sign Max,` because that prospect is currently so distant it`s not realistic. So, with George, we discuss everything.”
Prior to making these comments, Wolff spent a significant portion of Friday`s press conference at the Austrian Grand Prix fielding questions about his pursuit of Verstappen.
When asked about a potential deadline for signing Verstappen, Wolff replied that his “conversations” hadn`t reached that point.
“You make it sound as though we`ve been asking when he wants to join and what the terms are. That`s not how things are or how they work. And I`ll reiterate my earlier point.
“I prefer to have these conversations privately, not in public forums. We have two drivers who have been part of our program for a long time now.
“Drivers that I am completely satisfied with. Drivers who will perform exceptionally well for the team in the future. So, the situation is somewhat different.”
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Verstappen avoided giving a direct answer about where he would be driving in 2026, which further fueled speculation about his future.
“I don`t think we need to talk about that,” Verstappen stated. “I don`t know, do you want me to repeat what I said last year? I don`t know. It`s the same answer.
“I honestly don`t even recall what I said last year. But again, it`s not really on my mind. I`m just focused on driving well, trying to enhance performance, and then we`ll focus on next year.”
When questioned about what George Russell needed to do to secure a contract extension, Wolff responded, “Nothing. He has been involved in our program for roughly 10 years. He has consistently performed to the standards we`ve set, and he continues to do so.”
“We haven`t provided him with a car capable of winning the world championship over the past three years. That is entirely our responsibility. And when the car has been competitive, he has won races.”
“And you can see today [in free practice], he is always there. You know that when he gets into the car, he will extract its maximum potential. Having said that, for some reason, in the early summer, these types of contract discussions seem to be accelerated in the media or because of a lack of information.”
“Well, in normal business, which I`ve been doing for the past 30 years, contract discussions are not conducted publicly. So, everything is proceeding normally. Everything is going according to plan.”
When asked whether a driver lineup of Russell and Verstappen was a possibility for the future, Wolff replied, “Well, I can envision any lineup. I`ve had [Nico] Rosberg and [Lewis] Hamilton competing for a world championship, so everything else after that feels easy.”
“So, yes, there are pros and cons to having two drivers intensely competing against each other. And we`ve seen instances where that worked well, and other examples where it did not.”
