Wolff rules out near-term Verstappen move after Mercedes lock in Russell and Antonelli

Toto Wolff has conceded that any realistic prospect of Max Verstappen joining Mercedes has been pushed back by several years, following the Silver Arrows’ decision to retain George Russell and Kimi Antonelli through 2027 — a confirmation that came just weeks before Red Bull announced a new deal with the four-time world champion ahead of his home race at Zandvoort.

The question of whether Verstappen will ever drive for Mercedes has become a near-annual ritual at the Dutch Grand Prix, where Wolff faces a media session with local journalists. This year, however, the Mercedes team principal offered his most measured response yet, acknowledging that the timing has simply not aligned.

“Pretty early we felt for us that being with George and Kimi was the right decision to continue — for various reasons, but it seems that the driver line-up is just the right positive dynamic,” Wolff said. “It allows Kimi to grow and for George to bring out his best game.”

The two sides have flirted with the possibility before. Two years ago, Wolff confirmed he had held direct talks with Verstappen as he searched for a replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton. At the time, he refused to rule out a future move: “Yes, it is [in the back of my mind]. Somehow I have that feeling. But I don’t know when that could be. Whether it’s ‘26, whether it’s three years later, I don’t know yet.”

Wolff made another approach a year later, as Antonelli navigated a difficult rookie season, but Verstappen again pledged his loyalty to Red Bull. “Could that mean our paths will never cross because the timings are wrong? Well, that can happen,” Wolff reflected. “But that could be 50%. The other 50% is we are racing together at a certain stage in our careers, if it is right for both sides.”

The history between the two parties stretches back further still. Mercedes could have signed Verstappen as a teenager in 2014, when he was already winning races in Formula 3 as a single-seater rookie — but only Red Bull could offer an immediate step up to a world championship-level seat, via its junior outfit Toro Rosso.

For now, Verstappen is enduring his first winless campaign since 2015, yet his commitment to Red Bull appears firm. With both drivers at Mercedes contracted beyond the current season and Verstappen freshly tied to Milton Keynes, Wolff’s window of opportunity looks unlikely to reopen before the end of the decade.