Toto Wolff has made it clear who he desires to drive for Mercedes subsequent 12 months – and it received’t be Max Verstappen.
The Mercedes group principal has thrown his religion behind present duo George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli regardless of a wave of hypothesis linking him with Verstappen.
Russell stays and not using a signed contract for 2026 and Wolff has hinted at his curiosity in Pink Bull driver Verstappen.
However forward of this weekend’s F1 Belgian Grand Prix, Wolff has set the document straight about who he expects to drive for Mercedes subsequent 12 months.
“Discussions have been going down during the last weeks and months. So they’re all updated,” Wolff instructed Austrian broadcaster ORF.
“The course of journey is unquestionably that we wish to proceed with George and Kimi. That’s the absolute precedence
“However you’ll be able to’t look previous somebody like Max and the plans he has for the longer term.
“We did that, however I don’t suppose there might be any large surprises.”
Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen now seems likelier than ever to remain at Pink Bull in 2026.
He’s contracted till the top of 2028 however the presence of a contractual escape clause had received the F1 paddock speaking.
The shortage of competitiveness from Pink Bull’s RB21 in comparison with the McLaren has additionally prompted Verstappen to look elsewhere.
He presently sits third within the F1 standings behind Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, his hopes of a fifth drivers’ title in a row wanting slim.
Toto Wolff and Max Verstappen secret Sardinia talks?
Toto Wolff
F1 followers thought that they had outsmarted Wolff and Verstappen by monitoring their non-public jets to the identical location.
Ralf Schumacher additionally stirred the pot by sharing a hearsay that the Mercedes boss was assembly the Pink Bull driver on the vacation island of Sardinia.
Wolff reacted: “What’s new is that persons are doing photograph collages with aeroplanes! We’ve by no means had that earlier than.
“However for those who spend your holidays shut to one another, it doesn’t imply that you will work collectively in Method 1.
“We have now all the time gotten alongside nicely and, by probability, we wish to spend our holidays on the similar locations.”
Russell all the time insisted it was unlikely that he would driving for anyone aside from Mercedes in 2026.
Though he has nonetheless not put pen to paper on a recent deal, it now feels imminent after Wolff’s dedication to him.
Subsequent 12 months the F1 2026 laws will kick in, providing an opportunity for each group within the sport to construct a dominant period with new vehicles.
That signifies that in 2027, after one 12 months of every group exhibiting what they will do, the chase to signal Verstappen would possibly restart.
