Marko criticizes Russell over the recent Verstappen rumors.

      "I believed he already had a contract."

      It is Toto Wolff's "respect" for Mercedes that has left open the possibility for Max Verstappen in 2026. Speculations about the four-time world champion possibly engaging in discussions with the Mercedes team principal and co-owner were revived in Austria by George Russell.

      "What did Russell say this time?" a baffled Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko reacted at the Red Bull Ring. It makes sense that the in-form Russell wants to highlight that talks between Mercedes and Wolff are occurring, as he may need to seek a different seat. Nevertheless, Marko is unimpressed.

      "Russell talks too much. I thought he already had a contract," the Austrian cheekily remarked. "This is a fallout from what happened in Montreal. That victory actually hindered him. We can’t take this seriously. Russell simply talks too much."

      However, both Wolff and Verstappen, 27, have not dismissed the speculation, with the Red Bull driver not fully committing to his current team for next year. When asked a direct question by a journalist about the "flirting" with Verstappen, Wolff responded, "Define 'flirting.' There is no 'flirt' in that sense. It depends on how you act. You can flirt, or you can have conversations."

      It seems unlikely that Wolff would replace his 18-year-old protégé Kimi Antonelli after just one season, and he reiterated on Friday that he views the Italian as a "future champion." However, Wolff has not excluded the possibility of a Russell-Verstappen duo.

      "I can envision every lineup," the Austrian asserted. "I had (Nico) Rosberg and (Lewis) Hamilton vying for a world championship, so anything after that is manageable." Regarding the “flirting” notion with Verstappen, Wolff remains unabashed. "We are satisfied with our drivers," he stated to Sky Italia after the official FIA press conference, "but with a company like Mercedes and out of respect for everyone, you must explore all opportunities—even more so if it involves a four-time world champion."

      From Marko's viewpoint, however, nothing is set to change for 2026. "The reality is that Max has driven for us his entire career, and he feels comfortable in the team," he mentioned. "However, we have fallen behind McLaren, so we need to ensure we build a car that allows him to compete for victories on his own. As it stands, Max remains with us."

      Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, in the meantime, told Viaplay: "We don't pay any attention to all of this. For now, it's merely speculation. We know exactly where we stand with Max. The rest is largely just noise."