Mercedes happy to secure Russell's future after Verstappen talks

Independent

20 hours ago

Toto Wolff said he needed to talk to Max Verstappen about a possible move to Mercedes but was now happy to secure George Russell's future with the team.
Verstappen confirmed for the first time that he would stay with Red Bull ahead of last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, putting to an end speculation that he could make a sensational move to rivals Mercedes ahead of the 2026 season.
Mercedes and Wolff have made little secret of their desire to sign the four-time world champion, which heightened talk that Russell – who is out of contract at the end of this season – could lose his seat.
Team principal Wolff admitted that the possible availability of Verstappen, 27, had to be explored.
'I've always said I'm happy with my team, with Russell and Kimi Antonelli, but suddenly Max's future became uncertain, so we talked to him too,' Wolff told Gazzetta dello Sport.
'But I've always been very clear with George: 90 per cent of the time he would stay with us, but I needed to talk to Verstappen too. Now the situation is clear, and everything can go back to normal.'
Verstappen had a break clause from his Red Bull deal which can no longer be activated. Confirmation that he would stay with the team came 23 days after Christian Horner discovered he had been ousted as Red Bull team principal and CEO.
Russell claimed his sixth podium of the season at the Hungaroring and has excelled in an inconsistent Mercedes car, while also stepping up to lead the team alongside 18-year-old Italian rookie Antonelli following Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari.
Hamilton, who won six of his seven world championships under Wolff at Mercedes, endured another difficult weekend for the Scuderia and labelled himself 'useless' after qualifying.
The downbeat 40-year-old said Ferrari should change their driver but Wolff is convinced he will bounce back from his first-season struggles with the Prancing Horse.
'It's a characteristic of the greats: if they know they haven't been up to par, they don't blame the team but look within. Once this moment has passed, he'll come back with the same motivation as always,' Wolff said.
Formula One will have a new set of regulations for next season, with major changes to power unit and aerodynamic rules that will bring an end to the ground-effect era in which Mercedes have struggled to match Red Bull and, this season, McLaren.
Wolff is optimistic that his team will be stronger next season and admitted he would relish the chance to go head-to-head in a title battle with Hamilton and Ferrari.
'Seeing Ferrari against Mercedes would be fantastic,' Wolff added. 'I have no doubt this duel will happen, next year or in the future. We will experience it and it will be fantastic.'