George Russell and Kimi Antonelli seem to have Mercedes running smoothly, but Toto Wolff’s interest in bringing Max Verstappen into the fold hasn’t gone away.
The Austrian has missed out on several opportunities to sign the Red Bull driver over the years. They even discussed it back in 2025 when Wolff was weighing up a potential change to his line-up.
In the end, nothing happened, and Mercedes stuck with Russell and Antonelli. The lack of detail around their contracts – with only their 2026 seats confirmed – kept rumours about a Verstappen move alive.
Reports suggested that Wolff wasn’t shutting the door on Verstappen either, especially since the Dutchman could exit Red Bull in 2026 through a contract clause.
Max Verstappen Still on Toto Wolff’s Radar Despite Strong Start to 2026
Mercedes have enjoyed a dominant start to the 2026 season, winning every race so far. Antonelli currently leads the Drivers’ Championship by 43 points over Russell, and the team holds a comfortable 72-point advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors’ standings.
Meanwhile, Verstappen’s future remains a topic of conversation. He has expressed frustration with the current regulations and has hinted at leaving if changes aren’t made. Should Red Bull fail to meet his expectations, he could be available for a move.
Lobato told SoyMotor: “Well, he’s starting to bring his global dream to fruition. He’s got Kimi and it’s working, it’s starting to work and he’s got him leading the world championship and he’s got Italy in an uproar.
“He’s had an uncontrollable desire for some time to have Max Verstappen on board. What a lovely film it would be to bring these two together, and he could do it because Max is in a team that isn’t performing, isn’t getting results, isn’t delivering, and he’s quite desperate.
“And the circumstances could arise for this to happen, and from there we’ll see what happens, because Mercedes is very well positioned this year and it feels like they might also be well positioned for this cycle, despite the ADUO and despite whatever else they might come up with.”
If Wolff decides that Verstappen is worth pursuing again next year or beyond as Red Bull continues to drop back from Ferrari after another season without wins or podiums – not only will things get worse for Christian Horner but his personal buyout clause will make more sense than ever before.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
