Toto Wolff has seemingly ruled out Max Verstappen to Mercedes move for 2026 F1 as he revealed his ‘absolute priority’ is to continue with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
The decisive response comes after the reigning Formula 1 world champion was rumored to be in talks with the Mercedes team boss for a potential switch.
Speculation over Max Verstappen’s potential departure from the Red Bull camp has gained momentum in recent months as he faces mounting frustrations over performance and internal wrangles within his team.
Uncharacteristically lackluster performances by the Red Bull RB21 coupled with the departure of key staff including Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and recently Christian Horner have tested Verstappen’s patience and led to pointed questions about his long-term loyalty to the team.
While Verstappen’s contract is set to run through 2028, reliable sources claim the Dutchman was ready to execute an exit clause and his representatives had already initiated serious talks with Toto Wolff.
It later emerged that discussions had reached a stage where only minor details were remaining for the deal to be finalized as former F1 driver and commentator Ralf Schumacher revealed tracking data that implied both Verstappen and Wolff yachts were spotted in Sardinia.
Meanwhile, George Russell kept the rumor mill spinning after confirming Wolff and Verstappen were in active talks which seemed to explain why Mercedes was holding up his extension alongside Kimi Antonelli.
However, Wolff has stated unequivocally that Mercedes’ “top priority” is to continue with Russell and Antonelli for 2026 F1, ruling out any potential new signing.
“Discussions have been taking place over the last weeks and months, so they are all up to date,” Wolff told Austrian broadcaster ORF.
“The direction of travel is definitely that we want to continue with George and Kimi. That is the absolute priority.
“But you can’t look past someone like Max and the plans he has for the future. We did that, but I don’t think there will be any big surprises.”
Wolff was amused by rumors that he met the the Red Bull star while on vacation in the three weeks between the British GP and Belgian Grand Prix, with fake pictures showing the Mercedes boss boarding Verstappen’s jet making rounds in social media.
“What’s new is that people are doing photo collages with airplanes, we’ve never had that before,” Wolff said.
“But if you spend your holidays close to each other, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to work together in Formula 1. We have always gotten along well and by chance we like to spend our holidays at the same places.”
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While the prospect of Max Verstappen to Mercedes switch appears improbable for now, Wolff did not rule out securing his services in the future.
Since Mercedes’ legendary champion Lewis Hamilton departed for Ferrari, all eyes have been on who would fill the ensuing gap and lead the team into the new regulatory era that begins in 2026 F1.
Earlier in the season, Wolff revealed Mercedes was weighing all options and exploring the optimal pairing to exploit the significant technical regulation changes arriving in 2026, suggesting talks with Verstappen happened albeit without concrete intent.
His current contract, running until 2028, theoretically secures his position; however, as all in Formula 1 understand, contract provisions—such as performance-related release clauses and the evolving dynamics of team personnel—ensure nothing is ever truly set in stone.
At the close of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen remained within the top three in the championship, thereby keeping early exit doors closed for now, but the landscape could shift again depending on Red Bull’s fortunes and Verstappen’s own competitive calculus.
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