Toto Wolff confronted a barrage of questions on Mercedes’ curiosity in signing Max Verstappen for the 2026 F1 season on the Austrian Grand Prix.
Verstappen has grown nearer to becoming a member of Mercedes, in keeping with studies in Italy, and amid the delay to handing George Russell a brand new deal.
Verstappen is underneath contract to Pink Bull till the tip of 2028 however is believed to have break clauses which might allow the Dutchman to exit the group early.
On the F1 Austrian Grand Prix, the place Crash.web had been current on the bottom, Russell advised Mercedes’ continued pursuit of Verstappen was behind the delay to his contract extension.
“It’s solely regular that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing,” Russell informed Sky Sports activities. “However from my facet, if I’m performing as I’m doing, what have I received to be involved about? There are two seats in each System 1 group.”
Verstappen additionally refused to commit his F1 future to Pink Bull when requested if he would nonetheless be racing for the group in 2026.
What Toto Wolff stated about Max Verstappen
Mercedes group principal Toto Wolff
When instantly requested whether or not Mercedes have held talks with Verstappen following Russell’s declare, Wolff remained tight-lipped.
“Whether or not I prefer it or not, I like what George says and I am at all times supportive of the motive force. And there’s no such factor as saying issues I would not need him to say,” he stated.
“I believe we’re very clear within the group of what we do, what we plan. And we have been like that since I used to be being put answerable for that. In order that’s not the difficulty. And in the meanwhile, clearly, you might want to discover what’s occurring sooner or later.
“Nevertheless it does not change something of what I stated earlier than about George or about Kimi, in regards to the line-up that I am extraordinarily completely happy of getting.”
Wolff has beforehand confused that Mercedes’ present line-up of Russell and highly-rated rookie Kimi Antonelli is the way forward for the group.
He additionally stated he’s open to pairing Russell and Verstappen, who’ve clashed each on and off observe in latest months, at Mercedes.
“I can think about each line-up,” Wolff stated. “I had Rosberg and Hamilton and preventing for a world championship, so every thing else afterwards is simple.
“There’s professionals and cons of getting two drivers preventing one another arduous. We have seen examples the place that functioned and different examples the place it did not.
“And in relation to the contract scenario, you realize, our sport is strain, fixed strain, whether or not you are within the automobile, exterior of the automobile, you simply want to deal with that. And George is aware of that, like another driver is aware of it.
“I really feel that while you’re being put in a consolation zone, generally that’s truly extra detrimental to efficiency than having a sure strain level within the system.”
Wolff rejected ideas Mercedes have set a deadline for Verstappen to determine whether or not he would need to be part of Mercedes.
“You make it sound like that we now have been asking when do you need to be part of and what are the phrases? That’s not how it’s and the way it works. And I come again to my earlier reply,” he confused.
“I need to simply have the conversations behind closed doorways, not city halls. And we now have two drivers which have been in our programme since a very long time, drivers that I am completely completely happy to have, drivers that can do nice in the way forward for the group. So it is a bit totally different, the scenario.”
Again on the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March, Wolff insisted that he would cease “flirting” with Verstappen as a result of he was now not on Mercedes’ “radar”.
So has one thing modified?
“Outline flirting! No, nothing modified,” Wolff replied to that query. “There isn’t a flirt in that sense. You may flirt or you’ve gotten conversations.”
Did Toto Wolff drop a George Russell clue?
Requested what extra Russell must do to safe a contract extension, Wolff stated: “Nothing. He has been a part of our programme since 10 years or so. He is at all times carried out to the expectations that we now have set. And he is persevering with to take action.
“We have not given him a automobile to win world championship within the final three years. In order that’s utterly on us. And the instances the automobile has been good, he has been profitable races.
“He’s at all times there. You recognize that when he is getting within the automobile, he’ll extract what’s within the automobile. So having stated that, for no matter motive, in early summer time, these form of contract discussions begin to find yourself being accelerated within the media or accelerated due to a lack of knowledge.
“What I’ve been doing the final 30 years in a traditional enterprise, contract discussions aren’t being held on the town halls. So every thing is regular, every thing goes to plan.”
When requested if Russell is high of Mercedes’ checklist for 2026, Wolff responded: “Properly, he must be high of the checklist as a result of he is a race winner with us. He is a Mercedes Junior. He is been with the group for a very long time.”
It was then put to Wolff that Russell, who has been linked with Aston Martin, might be speaking to different groups.
“Once more, we’re going into territory that I do not need to talk about out right here, however folks discuss, folks discover and most necessary is that in our organisation, we’re clear,” Wolff stated.
“Nevertheless it does not change a millimetre of my opinion of George, his skills or the rest.”
