Max Verstappen to Mercedes off? Toto Wolff shares current F1 2026 driver plans

Max Verstappen has been linked with a move to Mercedes throughout 2024, which is now off the table.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has said the “flirting” with Max Verstappen has ended as F1 2025 driver pairing George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli are the team’s future.

With Lewis Hamilton opting to leave Mercedes for Ferrari next season, Toto Wolff had made overtures to try luring Verstappen but has since confirmed his mind was always set on signing junior driver Antonelli.

Toto Wolff: Dealing with Max Verstappen’s camp ‘very straightforward’

Knowing that he had the security of Antonelli ready to go, revealing he had decided on promoting the 17-year-old Italian from Formula 2 “five minutes” after learning Hamilton was leaving for Ferrari, Wolff made his admiration of Verstappen clear although discussions about the possibility of a switch reached a dead end.

With Verstappen’s relationship with Red Bull appearing more tenuous than it ever has in the last decade, Wolff left the door open for a possible switch for the multiple World Champion but, as the Dutch driver backed away from that chance, the Austrian team boss committed to the option of the Italian junior.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at Monza as Antonelli was confirmed for F1 2025, Wolff acknowledged the discussions with the Verstappen camp but said he has no second thoughts about what might have been possible, or that he’s kept his options open for 2026 should Antonelli not work out.

“What I appreciated in dealing with them [Verstappen’s team], it’s just very straightforward,” Wolff explained. “I don’t flirt outside.

“I’ve always said it, I got maybe caught out by the Lewis situation, but I’ve not entertained any discussions with any drivers when giving it all from the team to make it a success.

“This is why all of our focus in the team is on George and Kimi, and that’s what I also said. There’s no discussion, there’s no second thoughts about what are doing in 2026, because now it’s about 2024 and 2025.”

Wolff explained that if he holds conversations with other drivers over the next 12 months, his current drivers will know those conversations are occurring.

“If flirting outside happens, then these guys [Antonelli and Russell] will know it at the same time,” he said.

“When we have those discussions, I’ve always been very open.”

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Toto Wolff sheds light on Kimi Antonelli testing programme

With Antonelli having been given several testing of previous cars (TPC) days at circuits throughout the year, driving the 2022 W13, as he builds up his experience in a contemporary F1 machine, Wolff explained that he will continue to take part in these days as he builds up to his F1 debut in order to help him hit the ground running.

“When you look at the blueprint back in the day that Lewis came, it was a lot of testing to prepare,” Wolff said.

“Not only for the driving, but also, you know, going through a race weekend preparation, it’s what we’ve done also in them, in the last one.

“So that programme is going to continue. When thinking about an opportunity at Williams, for example, we hoped to continue with our programme and continuing to educate Kimi, finishing with doing another free practice session, and then doing Abu Dhabi and taking it from there.

“Because I think, the more kilometres you do especially in a car that is not great – the TPC car, that was not our best car – it’s going to get him, I don’t know, between 15 and 20 days under the belt, and that’s important.”

Read next: Martin Brundle: Kimi Antonelli ‘luckiest young driver I’ve ever known’ after debut crash