Wolff confirms Russell and Antonelli to stay at Mercedes for 2027, ending Verstappen talk

Toto Wolff confirmed at the Austrian Grand Prix that Mercedes will retain George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for the 2027 Formula 1 season, drawing a firm line under months of background speculation linking four-time world champion Max Verstappen to the Silver Arrows.

Verstappen’s potential move to Mercedes had been a persistent talking point throughout 2025, fuelled by exit clauses in his Red Bull contract, which runs until the end of 2028. Those clauses ultimately expired without being triggered, and the Dutchman publicly recommitted to Red Bull for 2026 — yet the rumours never fully disappeared.

With Mercedes enjoying a dominant start to the new 2026 technical regulations, Wolff has even less incentive to revisit the subject. “We don’t want to change things,” he told reporters when asked about the 2027 line-up. “We’ve said that also to George. I think it’s a line-up that is good for us. I’m very happy with the two of them.”

The remarks came just days after Russell himself stated he would “100%” be racing for Mercedes in 2027 — a notable declaration given he was the driver most exposed to being replaced when the team signed teenage prodigy Antonelli.

At 19, Antonelli has made an immediate case for his place, winning five of the first seven grands prix of 2026 and building a 50-point lead over Russell in the drivers’ standings. Russell, meanwhile, was left puzzled by a pace deficit at Monaco in June but responded by topping final practice in Austria, with Wolff quick to frame that session as evidence his experienced driver remains a genuine title contender.

“He’s coping well,” Wolff said of Russell. “You can see the last one and a half days was difficult and then at the end now he was quickest. You’re talking about fine margins. Keep yourself in the confidence zone, trust in your driving, trust in the decisions that you’re making with your mechanics in terms of set-ups — and then often it’s just that simple, just drive. He doesn’t need to prove to anyone that he has the speed we know he has and the ability.”

For Verstappen, Wolff’s comments leave his post-2026 future unresolved. With Red Bull’s contract running to 2028 and Mercedes now publicly committed to its current pairing, the reigning champion’s next move remains one of the sport’s more intriguing open questions.