There have been persistent rumors for a change from Max Verstappen to Mercedes for weeks. Silver team boss Toto Wolff has now closed the door for a change hammer next year.
A big question hovers over the Formula 1 driver’s warehouse: Where does world champion Max Verstappen drive in 2026?
Even after the separation from Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, the rumor mill continued.
Especially since there was speculation about a meeting of Wolff and Verstappen in their respective vacation before Sardinia.
Now the Austrian has commented on the change causa with clear words. And they can be interpreted in such a way that a change will be off the table next summer.
No surprises – no Verstappen?
“But I don’t think there will be big surprises,” Wolff told the “ORF” before the Grand Prix of Belgium on weekends (live at RTL).
A decision for the Mercedes line-up 2026 is now to be made in SPA.
“It’s not just about making a decision. The drivers also need to know what they are. We have always tried to stick to this rule. And this time we’ll do that too,” said Wolff.
The tendency is clearly towards the current driver pairing George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
“The direction of travel is that we want to continue with George and Kimi. This is the first priority,” said the Mercedes boss. The talks continue. “It is all up to date.”
But Wolff also explained that you couldn’t simply “look” over a top driver like Verstappen.
Wolff can only laugh about the alleged holiday pictures of Wolff with Verstappen. “It is new that people do photo collages with the plane. We have never had that. If you go on vacation near each other, it does not mean that you also work together in Formula 1. We always had a good do.