Toto Wolff on negotiations with Max Verstappen

      In Spielberg, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff spoke about the team’s lineup and negotiations with Max Verstappen…

      Question: Do you think Kimi Antonelli’s podium in Canada will help him achieve more? Before the weekend, he said it was time to take the next step…

      Toto Wolff: It’s important that the progress continues. Last year, we made a not very reasonable decision by putting him behind the wheel in Monza. We put a lot of pressure on him, which resulted in an incident that we’ve only finally managed to put behind us now—with the podium in Canada.

      Over the year, we allowed him to develop freely, took some of the pressure off so he didn’t have to prove anything to us, but would be able to attack when he felt confident in the car. And we saw a result worthy of a driver who has a chance to become a champion one day.

      Question: What can you say about Russell? He has five podiums this year, including a win. What more does he need to do to get a contract for 2026?

      Toto Wolff: Nothing. George has been part of our program for about ten years. He has always lived up to our expectations and continues to do so. In the past three years, we haven’t managed to provide him with a car capable of winning the world championship, and that’s completely our fault. When the car allowed it, he won races.

      Now he’s consistently fighting in the leading group. You know that when he gets behind the wheel, he always gets the maximum out of the car. For some reason, contract rumors always heat up before summer, but for us, everything is going according to plan.

      Question: Can he be considered the first name on your list?

      Toto Wolff: He should be at the top, since he is winning races in our team.

      Question: Yesterday he said your negotiations with Max are delaying the signing of his contract. Do you expect he’ll be negotiating with other teams as well?

      Toto Wolff: I don’t want to discuss this publicly. We’re talking, considering all factors, but it does not change my opinion about George, his abilities, and his potential.

      Question: We’ve often heard drivers say they don’t like how the 2026 car behaves in the simulator. What’s your take on it? Have your drivers tried the 2026 car in the simulator?

      Toto Wolff: What’s important is that the fans enjoy the racing, and Formula 1 remains the pinnacle of motorsport. The best driver wins in the best car. That’s what we have to ensure.

      Some cars drivers like more, some less, but everyone will adapt quickly. From the car’s behavior in the simulator, it’s hard to predict what will actually happen. We have very complex new rules that require the energy level to be maintained throughout the lap, and on some tracks this is clearly going to be a challenge. But the rate of innovation is enormous, as always in Formula 1. I believe we are moving in the right direction.

      Yes, on some tracks the 2026 cars will behave differently than today. But if you ask drivers what cars they like, they’ll say it should be the fastest, lightest cars with a 1000-horsepower naturally aspirated V12 engine, high downforce and tires that don’t wear out. Unfortunately, we live in a different era now.

      Question: Toto, what do you remember about the times when you were a driving instructor at Spielberg and lived on a nearby farm?

      Toto Wolff: When we won this race in 2014 and I was driving back to Vienna, I couldn’t believe what had happened, remembering that twenty years earlier I could barely make ends meet. I worked here at the racing school and lived at a farmer’s house. There were wonderful people there; in the mornings I had eggs with bread and a glass of milk. During the day, I taught people to drive a Formula Ford on the old Österreichring, and in the evenings I prepared the car for the next day.

      If you had told me then what would happen in twenty years, I would have been disappointed. I hoped I’d be winning races behind the wheel of those cars, not as team principal. It was a difficult period of my life, but I was still doing what I loved most—racing.

      Question: George openly stated that the team is negotiating with Verstappen. Max refused to confirm at the press conference yesterday that he will race for Red Bull in 2026. Can you clarify whether negotiations with Max are ongoing or have already taken place?

      Toto Wolff: Whether I like it or not, I appreciate what George says. I always support my drivers, and I never tell them what they should say. We’re very open as a team about what we do and what we’re planning. At this point, obviously we need to think about what might happen in the future, but that doesn’t change what I said earlier about George or Kimi, or about the team lineup, with which I am very satisfied.

      Question: Can you imagine a situation where George and Max drive for you? Is that possible, given the history between them?

      Toto Wolff: I can imagine any line-up. In my team, Rosberg and Hamilton fought for the championship—after that, any problem will seem simple to you.

      There are pros and cons to having two drivers fighting hard. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. As for contracts, our sport is constant pressure, which you have to deal with. I think that when you are put in a comfort zone, sometimes that is actually more damaging for results than working under pressure.

      Question: Do you have a deadline by which you expect Max’s decision? And if he says “yes,” who will stay—Antonelli or Russell?

      Toto Wolff: The negotiations are behind closed doors, I will not discuss them publicly. We have two drivers who have been part of our program for a long time, drivers I am completely satisfied with, drivers we see as the team’s future. The situation is a little different from what you think.