Toto Wolff has developed one Max Verstappen concern to spark his U-turn on Mercedes signing the Red Bull driver

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Toto Wolff has been biding his time to set Mercedes’ driver line-up for the 2026 F1 season until they know if Max Verstappen can and will also want to leave Red Bull.

The Silver Arrows find themselves outside of the predominant trend of the F1 driver market, with both seats in their garage currently up for grabs for the 2026 season. Only Cadillac and Racing Bulls are also yet to confirm either of their drivers for next year among the 11 teams.

Mercedes still have two openings as George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli are both out of contract after the 2025 F1 season. The Brackley bunch last handed Russell fresh terms in August 2023, while Antonelli only signed a one-year deal to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025.

Wolff has not rushed to finalise new deals for either Russell or Antonelli as he wants to learn if Verstappen can trigger an exit clause in his contract at Red Bull. The 27-year-old would be clear to jump ship if he is outside the top three in the F1 drivers’ championship this summer.

Toto Wolff thinks signing Max Verstappen might ‘test’ the ‘team chemistry’ at Mercedes

Verstappen currently sits third in the standings but Russell would only need to outscore the Dutchman by 19 points across the Belgian Grand Prix, where there is even an F1 Sprint, and Hungarian Grand Prix for the exit clause to become available for him to activate at his wish.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

But while Wolff has long planned to sign Verstappen to partner Antonelli, the Silver Arrows chief has now pulled a U-turn. Wolff has told ORF ahead of the Belgian GP that Mercedes’ ‘first priority’ is now to agree to new contracts with Russell and Antonelli for at least 2026.

Wolff admits that Mercedes ‘did’ consider signing Verstappen but he now concedes that any move for the Red Bull racer is unlikely. And that could have something to do with reports by Bild noting that Wolff is concerned that Verstappen could ‘test’ Mercedes’ ‘team chemistry’.

Along with being a big supporter of Mercedes products Russell and Antonelli, Wolff is aware that Verstappen may create dramas in Brackley that their current drivers do not. Wolff could even have to decide if he is prepared to build Mercedes around Verstappen, like Red Bull do.

Toto Wolff is clashing with Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius about signing Max Verstappen

Despite Wolff’s long-term interest in a deal, Mercedes’ board do not like the idea of signing Verstappen while under contract to Red Bull, too. The four-time reigning champion’s deal in Milton Keynes is valid through the 2028 season, but Verstappen enjoys a raft of exit clauses.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 CEO and team principal Toto Wolff

Yet even after the U-turn to make keeping Russell and Antonelli the priority, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius is pressuring Wolff to sign Verstappen. While Wolff feels Mercedes’ car for F1’s 2026 regulations voids any need to change their line-up, Kallenius wants the best driver.

The apparent difference of opinions between Wolff and Kallenius will be irrelevant if Russell does not outscore Verstappen by 19 points over the Belgian GP and Hungarian GP, though. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is 46 points shy of Verstappen with 58 available before the summer.