There has been smoke that Red Bull star and four-time F1 driver’s champion Max Verstappen could defect from the constructor that cultivated him in favor of Mercedes, but Wednesday has seen a few things come about that indicate it may not happen.
Once Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was ousted by his board, speculation heated up that Verstappen could be on the move. After all, there have been a lot of key departures from the Hungarian outfit, perhaps key of all being Adrian Newey (who is now at Aston Martin), and the move to Ford engines after years with Honda.
It’s been no secret that Mercedes principal and CEO, Toto Wolff, has coveted Verstappen, yet according to ORF, Wolff says that his team will continue forward with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
According to the head of the former series world champion, the trend for 2026 is clearly in the direction of the current pilot pairing George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli: “The direction of travel is that we want to continue with George and Kimi. That is the first priority,” said the Viennese. Discussions would be held on an ongoing basis: “They are all up to date.”
ORF earlier reported that Verstappen’s escape clause has expired, meaning that it would cost Mercedes (or any other constructor) a fortune if it was to get him out of his contract — which currently runs until the end of 2028.
While Wolff may be saying that Mercedes will stay with the status quo, it could be obfuscation—but it could also be true. After all, F1 drivers and constructors, alike, tend to operate under cloak and dagger until a deal becomes official.
