Mercedes considering new tactic to try and sign Max Verstappen after George Russell’s new contract

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff would have been watching the United States Grand Prix and thinking about whether he made the right choice not going all in to sign Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

It was a mixed weekend for Mercedes, with George Russell finishing second in the Sprint Race at the United States Grand Prix.

Russell just signed a new Mercedes contract, but couldn’t follow up confirming his place on the grid in 2026 with another podium during Sunday’s race.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli stole the final point in Saturday’s Sprint, but was taken out by Carlos Sainz on lap five of the Grand Prix, ending his hopes of adding to his tally in the drivers’ championship.

Mercedes have also tied Antonelli down to a new deal, despite a worrying run of form during the European leg of the 2025 F1 season, where he only scored three points.

However, the star of the show in Austin was Max Verstappen, as he set the fastest times in both qualifying sessions and won the Sprint Race and Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Verstappen has closed the gap to Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ championship to 40 points, and few would bet against him winning a fifth straight title at this stage.

Mercedes were desperate to sign Verstappen earlier in the year, and journalist Rebecca Clancy believes that Toto Wolff’s stance has changed on how the Silver Arrows would navigate a potential move for the Dutchman in the future.

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Mercedes would drop Kimi Antonelli to make room for Max Verstappen instead of George Russell

Clancy was speaking on the Inside the Piranha Club Podcast and talking about Mercedes’ future driver line-up, she said: “In terms of Antonelli, I do agree with you that he’s on one-plus-one, although I still think George is on a one-plus-one.

“But, I think he got a nice big fat pay rise, too, which is fair play to him.

“It’s an interesting one because I feel like it’s starting to shift slightly in the sense that if Toto Wolff can finally get Max Verstappen, who he has wanted since before Verstappen was even in F1, lost out to Red Bull because Red Bull could offer him that junior seat in Toro Rosso as it was then.

“I think Antonelli would now make way because for Wolff, OK, he doesn’t want the headache of 2016 again when it was Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton going at each other.

“And let’s be honest, Verstappen and George Russell don’t really like each other. You just have to look at their interactions this year. They were very public about it towards the end of last year.

“They aren’t exactly the best of friends; they don’t travel together. They would be cordial because they’re both like that. But it does feel like it’s sort of shifting slightly in the sense that it would be a Russell-Verstappen team.”

READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats

Kimi Antonelli reacts after being taken out by Carlos Sainz at the United States Grand Prix

Antonelli was on for a decent haul of points on Sunday before an ill-judged move by Carlos Sainz at turn 16 sent him spinning into the barriers.

He was able to continue, while Sainz retired and picked up a five-place grid penalty for the Mexico City Grand Prix, but it ruined his chances of a top 10 finish.

F1 fans blamed Sainz for the incident, and speaking about it after the race, Antonelli said: “I don’t think he was going to make the corner anyway, and I tried to avoid hitting the apex just to give him a bit more space, but I ended up getting taken out.

“It’s a shame, but we move forward.”

The last thing the 19-year-old needs is to miss out on points when he knows he could be vulnerable to Verstappen joining the team.

He needs to build on the glimpses of potential he’s shown this season to secure his long-term F1 future.