Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has officially stated his interest in signing Red Bull driver Max Verstappen for the 2026 Formula 1 season. He also confirmed his openness to the idea of pairing the reigning four-time world champion with George Russell.
Wolff had previously shown public interest in Verstappen last year, especially after Lewis Hamilton`s move to Ferrari for 2025 was announced. At that time, it seemed Mercedes` pursuit of the Dutch driver had been temporarily paused.
However, in a recent interview, George Russell suggested that his contract, which is set to expire at the end of the current season, has not been extended because Mercedes is still actively trying to sign Verstappen.
Responding to Russell`s comments regarding whether signing Verstappen is a serious consideration, Wolff expressed support for George, stating, “I like what George says and I`m always supportive of the driver. There is no such thing as saying things I wouldn`t want him to say.”
Wolff emphasized the team`s transparency. “We are very transparent in the team for what we do, what we plan… At the moment, clearly you need to explore what`s happening in the future,” he said, while adding that he remains “extremely happy” with the current driver line-up, including Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
Max Verstappen is currently under contract with Red Bull until 2028, but reports suggest his contract includes clauses that could potentially allow for an earlier departure.
When asked if he would set a deadline for Verstappen to make a decision about joining Mercedes, Wolff confirmed that “conversations behind closed doors” are indeed taking place.
He clarified the nature of these talks, stating, “You make it sound like we have been asking, `when do you want to join and what are the terms?` That`s not how it is and how it works.” Wolff prefers private discussions over public ones.
Highlighting his satisfaction with the current drivers, Wolff noted that Mercedes has two drivers who have been with the team for a long time and are capable of achieving great things. He described the current situation as “a bit different.”
Wolff Open to Verstappen-Russell Pairing
Over the past year, Verstappen and Russell have had several notable clashes, both during races and in post-race comments. This includes a controversial collision at the recent Spanish Grand Prix, for which Verstappen received a penalty, followed by further verbal exchanges between the two.
Despite their rivalry, Wolff did not rule out the possibility of pairing the two drivers at Mercedes. He drew a comparison to the intense rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg during their time together at Mercedes from 2013 to 2016, suggesting that managing such a pairing would not be more difficult.
“I can imagine every line-up,” Wolff stated. “I had Rosberg and Hamilton fighting for a world championship, so everything else afterwards is easy.” He acknowledged that “there are pros and cons of having two drivers fighting each other hard,” citing examples where such pairings have both succeeded and failed.
Russell `More Likely to Be at Mercedes Than Verstappen`
Shortly after his initial comments in the press conference, Toto Wolff appeared to temper expectations regarding Verstappen joining Mercedes in 2026 while speaking to Sky Sports F1.
He indicated that George Russell was more likely to be driving for Mercedes in 2026. Wolff reiterated the team`s commitment to transparency with its drivers. “These drivers are clever people. They talk with each other and I`m always open about these things and say it how it is,” he explained.
He added, “There`s no such thing as saying `we are going to sign Max`. This is so far away that it`s not realistic. With George, we talk about everything.”
Wolff also disputed Russell`s earlier suggestion that his contract negotiations were being delayed. He insisted that the team and driver were operating within a long-established and clear timeframe for discussions.
“There is no delay in George`s contract negotiations because it`s pretty clear, since a long time, what our timings were and are,” Wolff stated, adding that their long relationship meant there was no issue of delay.
He concluded by saying that exploring the future options of a four-time world champion is simply due diligence for a major team principal and does not impact the ongoing process regarding George Russell`s contract.
Marcus Prine