Fans mock Verstappen-to-Mercedes rumours after Wolff congratulates him on Austrian GP podium

Social media lit up with mockery of the Max Verstappen-to-Mercedes rumour mill after Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was seen congratulating the Red Bull driver on his second-place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

Wolff has publicly confirmed that Mercedes has no intention of changing its driver line-up for 2027, yet the brief post-race exchange was enough to send fans into a frenzy of satirical commentary. “Time to overreact,” one Reddit user wrote, with another responding: “MAX VERSTAPPEN REPLACES KIMI ANTONELLI AT MERCEDES.” A third went further: “MAX VERSTAPPEN TO REPLACE TOTO WOLFF AT MERCEDES. MAX VERSTAPPEN TO REPLACE BENZ AT MERCEDES-VERSTAPPEN FORMULA 1 TEAM.”

Several comments referenced a well-known Drive to Survive scene involving Wolff and former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. “He’s telling Max that he has the contract printed out,” one fan wrote, while another added: “Handshake to confirm the contract. Clear as day. I know a contract handshake when I see one.”

The jokes extended to Wolff’s reputation for staying close to drivers across the grid. “Toto must be happy to see two — er, three of his sons on the podium,” one comment read, after Verstappen joined race winner George Russell and championship leader Kimi Antonelli on the rostrum. “At this point, the whole grid are his sons. Kimi, Russell, Ham, Bottas, Max, etc.,” another fan replied.

The Austrian Grand Prix result was Verstappen’s best of the 2026 season to date. Mercedes, meanwhile, have dominated the campaign, winning every race except the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix — where Lewis Hamilton claimed his first victory with Ferrari.

In the constructors’ standings, Mercedes lead comfortably with 302 points, ahead of Ferrari on 204 and McLaren on 159.