Max Verstappen in talks with Mercedes - Here’s what Toto Wolff says

Red Bull driver and reigning Formula 1 world champion is having talks with the Mercedes F1 team for a driver seat for the 2026 season. It was confirmed by Mercedes driver George Russell, who said he was focused on his performance and doesn’t care whether his team is in talks with Max Verstappen for the 2026 driver seat. Russell said, “So, it's only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing. But from my side, if I'm performing as I'm doing, what have I got to be concerned about? There are two seats in every Formula 1 team."

This is a massive buildup as Vertsappen has been one of the biggest rivals for Mercedes and Russell over the years. But at the end of the day, F1 means business, and every team wants to have the best drivers. If Mercedes could secure a deal with Verstappen for the 2026 season, it would be a massive setback for Red Bull. The Austrian team is already facing performance issues, and losing their best driver to their biggest rivals will make it worse. 

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Toto Wolff has his say

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has also hinted about the contact with the Dutch driver, but says he is happy with his current driver lineup. Toto said, “We’re absolutely keen to continue the relationship. Everything goes its normal course. Some conversations you just simply need to have, but it doesn’t change my fundamental opinion about how the team is going to go forward.” About George Russell’s Mercedes contract, which ends by the end of the season, Wolff said, “Well, he needs to be top of the list because he's a race winner with us. He's a Mercedes junior. He's been with the team for a long time.”

When asked about the conversations with Verstappen, the Austrian said, “I just want to have the conversations behind closed doors, not town halls. We have two drivers that have been in our programme for a long time, drivers that I'm perfectly happy to have, drivers that will do great for the future of the team. So it's a bit different, the situation.” It would be a treat to watch Russell and Verstappen in the same team fighting for the championship, as their rivalry has boomed recently after the 2024 Lusail Grand prix in Qatar. But what happens to Kimi Antonelli? That question needs to be answered.

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