Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated that the team will finalize their driver lineup for the 2026 Formula 1 season during the sport`s August summer break. This announcement comes amid renewed speculation linking Max Verstappen to the team.
Speculation regarding Mercedes` drivers for the upcoming years intensified following the Austrian Grand Prix. George Russell mentioned in an interview that Mercedes was in discussions with Max Verstappen, the current four-time world champion for Red Bull.
The current Mercedes drivers, George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli, are awaiting confirmation on whether they will continue with the team for the 2026 season.
Wolff later confirmed `conversations behind closed doors` were happening to `explore what a four-time world champion is going to do in the future`. However, he also emphasized his satisfaction with the current pairing of Russell and Antonelli, suggesting Russell remaining with Mercedes in 2026 is still more probable than Verstappen joining.
Meanwhile, Red Bull dismissed Mercedes` comments about Verstappen as `just noise`. Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, although his contract is reportedly understood to include performance clauses that could potentially allow him an earlier exit.
Speaking after the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, Wolff indicated Mercedes feels comfortable with the situation and will make a final decision on the 2026 lineup relatively soon. The timeline points to a call being made before the F1 season`s summer break, which starts after the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 3rd.
Wolff stressed the need to be considerate towards `the organisation, the drivers, everybody` regarding the decision timeline.
He added, “You need to understand the way forward. I don’t want to be sadistic in letting a driver wait or not taking any decisions when it should be taken.”
“I feel we are in a good space, we’re [in] June, there are lots of discussions around,” Wolff continued. “I’ve been open with it, transparent. And at a certain stage, in the next couple of months, until the summer break, everything is going to be done.”
When asked if the decision would come at the start or end of the August 3-29 summer break, Wolff humorously replied, “Maybe in the middle!”
Mercedes` Perspective
Earlier, Wolff commented on the situation regarding the 2026 lineup and the sport`s upcoming rule changes:
“I think when you look at the situation we have with Kimi and George, we have a perfect line-up that we very much enjoy and that we believe is the future,” he said. “But, at the same time, there is a four-time world champion that needs to decide what he is going to do in the future and that is just, as a team principal, you need to see where that is going. But I think I give it a very little probability that it’s going to happen.”
Clarifying if `little probability` applied only to 2026 or longer term:
“You don’t know what’s going to be in three or five years, that’s why you need to look at what is it that should be considered on the long term.”
On factors influencing the final decision:
“Nothing needs in a way to come favourable for us, because with George and Kimi is what we want to be and what we want to continue,” he explained. “But in order to plan right for the long-term future you’ve got to understand what other people do.”
Red Bull`s Response
Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, responded to Mercedes` comments after qualifying:
“It is a lot of noise. I think Max gets quite annoyed by it,” Horner said. “We are very clear with the contract that we have with Max until 2028. So, anything is entirely speculative that is being said, but we tend not to pay too much attention to it.”
Asked if this was an attempt to destabilize Red Bull at their home race:
“I can imagine that George is frustrated he hasn’t been given a contract yet, but that’s between him and his team,” he replied. “The situation with Max, we know clearly where we’re at and obviously as does Max. Everything is subject to noise and, obviously, within any contract it remains confidential between the parties.”
Expert Analysis
Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok offered his perspective:
“We don’t know what the thresholds are in terms of him being able to extricate himself from the Red Bull contract,” Chandhok commented. “But if you were Max Verstappen, you would look next year at the performance of the top teams and then pick and choose where you want to go in the future. Because I think any of the teams of the grid would want to have Max in the car. He’s the standout driver of recent times. And from Max’s side, the new generation of rules and power units could set the tone for the next five or six years, like what happened with Lewis back in 2014. For next year, there’s a bit of a dance going on where people are trying to gauge the situation. And then for 2027, the market could go completely mad.”
