After missing out on signing the four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen earlier in his career, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is reluctant to make the same mistake again, confirming that his team is eager to make a run at the Dutchman.
Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff has insisted that negotiations with Russell, their current lead driver, are moving along as planned, even though Russell himself recently admitted he understands why Mercedes would consider talking to Verstappen.
Max Verstappen is currently the benchmark in F1 and has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028. But there has been speculation about whether he could consider leaving if the team’s lack of pace and internal politics continue.
Wolff didn’t deny that conversations happen behind the scenes, but stressed that the team always tries to be transparent: “People talk, people explore,” he said. “But it doesn’t change a millimetre of my opinion of George, his abilities, or anything else.”
Wolff was also keen to downplay any idea that Mercedes are giving Verstappen a deadline to sign or have made a formal offer. “I just want to have the conversations behind closed doors,” he explained. “We have two drivers who have been in our programme a long time—drivers I’m perfectly happy to have.”
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who many see as the next great driver in F1, currently make up Mercedes’ driver lineup this year as they battle Max Verstappen’s Red Bull for the title of being the second-best team. With McLaren way ahead of the pack and Ferrari struggling to keep pace most of the time, the real fight appears to be between these two teams.
Verstappen and Russell have already clashed this year on track, adding extra spice to the ongoing saga.
For now, Russell seems confident that if he keeps performing, he has nothing to worry about. But Mercedes know that rebuilding a title-winning team means considering every possibility, and that includes the sport’s fastest driver.
The coming months will reveal whether these talks with Max Verstappen are just background chatter, a plot to unsettle Red Bull in the constructors’ battle, or the start of something more serious. Until then, Russell, Verstappen, and Wolff will all keep their cards close to their chests.
F1 seasons rarely disappoint, and the 2025 calendar is living up to that reputation.