Toto Wolff shrugs off ‘Mercedes courtship’ talk as Verstappen locks in 2026 — but leaves the door ajar
Toto Wolff isn’t pretending those summer conversations with Max Verstappen never happened — he’s just saying they weren’t the sort of talks that end with a driver in silver overalls.
As rumours swirled over George Russell’s contract horizon and Verstappen’s future, the Mercedes team principal has cooled the narrative that he was trying to prise the four-time world champion out of Red Bull. Wolff’s line? The chats were more personal than sporting. Translation: interesting, yes; transactional, no.
It dovetails with the rare public steer from Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, who told De Telegraaf that confirming Max for Red Bull’s 2026 entry was “the right decision.” That matters because 2026 isn’t just another year — it’s the reset. New aero concept. New tyres. New power units. And for Red Bull, a brand-new in-house engine with Ford.
Vermeulen also made the most intriguing point of the summer: 2026 will be “very important” in shaping where Verstappen goes long term. In other words, commitment for the first lap of the new era doesn’t guarantee the one after it.
It’s easy to see why the phone lines were hot. Before the break, Russell admitted the Verstappen-to-Mercedes chatter had a bearing on his own talks with the team. And Verstappen’s Red Bull deal — which runs through 2028 — was widely believed to include a performance escape clause at the summer interval. He arrived in Budapest safe from triggering it, inevitably, but then drew a clear line anyway: he’s staying with Red Bull for 2026.
Would he have walked even if the clause was available? Vermeulen suggested it was doubtful. That’s both a show of faith in the current project and a nod to the unknowns ahead.
Those unknowns are vast. The 2026 cars are slated to shrink and shed weight under the FIA’s “nimble” vision, with DRS making way for active aero on both wings. Tyres get narrower. Energy management becomes central as power units gain a chunk of electrical output and run on fully sustainable fuels. It’s a whole new puzzle, and we’ve been here before: the last time the engine regs flipped in 2014, Mercedes disappeared over the horizon and stayed there for eight consecutive Constructors’ titles.
That historical footnote is probably why the paddock keeps linking Verstappen to Brackley — even though, as Wolff stresses, there was no “big sporting” pitch this time. The perception persists that if you’re placing a bet on which power unit lands best in a clean-sheet formula, you don’t get rich backing against Mercedes.
Red Bull aren’t exactly shy of big swings either. Christian Horner’s crew have built the benchmark chassis of the current cycle, and Red Bull Powertrains is the boldest expansion the team has attempted. The Ford tie-up brings branding clout and resources, but the first laps of a brand-new engine architecture are not for the faint-hearted. If the early months of 2026 look choppy, watch the temperature rise around Verstappen’s contract mechanics.
All of which leaves Mercedes playing the long game. Russell, as of now, hasn’t announced a deal beyond 2025. If Wolff has learned anything from the last two years, it’s that timing matters — for drivers, for concept pivots, for power-unit cycles. Keep relations warm with the fastest driver of his generation, and let the competitive picture do the persuading.
For now, Verstappen’s positioning is clear and calculated. Red Bull in 2026, eyes wide open. No drama, but no handcuffs either.
And Wolff? He’ll say the right thing — that it was personal, not business — then make sure Mercedes build a car and engine that turn “personal” into “possible” when the lights go green on F1’s next era.
