Toto Wolff insists that Mercedes has no intention of changing its driver lineup for 2027. However, almost immediately afterward, he envisions Max Verstappen alongside Kimi Antonelli in the more distant future. George Russell can therefore rest assured: his seat is secure. It's only his potential successor who is already starting to be presented.
Verstappen – Antonelli: A dream for Wolff, a warning for Russell
Verstappen-Antonelli: not for 2027, but certainly not impossible
Toto wolff He has definitely mastered the art of closing a door without ever fully turning the key.
At the end of June, the boss of Mercedes Benz had, however, been very clear regarding the rumors sending Max Verstappen in Brackley as early as 2027. When questioned by Sky Sports F1He had stated that the team did not want nothing change and that she was very satisfied with George Russell et Kimi Antonelli. Russell he himself had indicated that he would still be at Mercedes Benz next season.
Few weeks later, Wolff He nevertheless acknowledged that he would not rule out one day fielding a team. Verstappen et Antonelli in the same team. He presented the Dutchman as a driver at the peak of his powers, while believing that his young protégé still needed time to develop.
This is therefore not a finalized project, much less a training program that has already been approved. But in Formula 1When a team manager starts publicly imagining a future driver pairing, the driver who is absent from the conversation usually has an interest in listening carefully.
And in this scenario, the absent one is called George Russell.
Russell retained… with Verstappen in the rearview mirror
Wolff maintains that Russell et Antonelli constitute the right association for Mercedes Benz in 2027. The British company has a multi-year commitment and its boss has publicly defended its speed as well as its ability to bounce back after difficult periods.
Corn (Mais) Wolff He did not mention a possible trio. If Verstappen must one day join AntonelliSomeone will have to free up a seat.
But it seems difficult to imagine Mercedes Benz to sacrifice their young Italian phenomenon. At 19 years old, Antonelli has already won six Grands Prix in 2026 and leads the championship by 50 points over Lewis Hamilton, While Russell there are nine additional units behind the pilot Ferrari. Russell So, they remain officially supported, respected, and under contract. Exactly like many drivers a few months before discovering that the Formulas 1 had suddenly found an option that was "impossible to refuse".
Antonelli is no longer just Wolff's favorite project
Mercedes Benz had launched Kimi Antonelli en Formula 1 In 2025, despite his limited experience, he aimed to secure his future without going through an intermediate team. After a first season of learning, the Italian took advantage of the 2026 regulatory changes to immediately become a title contender.
His six wins and his consistency have changed his position in the team. Antonelli is no longer the young pilot that Mercedes Benz must protect: he is now the one around whom Mercedes Benz can build.
The team's current dominance obviously facilitates this rise. Mercedes Benz has won eight of the first eleven races of the season and has a 72-point lead over Classic Ferrari for sale in the constructors' championship.
In this context, recruiting Verstappen It would no longer be a rescue operation aimed at regaining the top. It would be a luxury purchase: adding the benchmark driver of the previous generation to the prodigy destined to dominate the next.
An irresistible prospect for WolffProbably a little less for Russell.
Wolff insists he could manage two number ones
Associate Verstappen et Antonelli This would, however, create a potentially explosive situation. One is a four-time world champion accustomed to imposing his authority; the other already possesses the speed, victories, and confidence necessary to refuse a lieutenant role.
Wolff does not seem frightened by this prospect. In reference to the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton et Nico Rosberg, which had reached its peak in Mercedes Benz Between 2014 and 2016, he felt he'd seen worse and that he'd probably handle such opposition better today. Experience has indeed taught him a few lessons. Notably, that an internal rivalry can offer titles, clashes, endless meetings, and a few extra gray hairs, sometimes all in the same weekend.
Corn (Mais) Wolff He also knows that a dominant team doesn't necessarily need two established champions to win. With Antonelli leading the championship and Russell third again Mercedes Benz already possesses a training capable of transforming his technical superiority into results.
Verstappen remains a temptation, not an urgent matter
Max Verstappen remains linked to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season. His contract is regularly linked with performance clauses, but no arrival at Mercedes Benz is not currently scheduled.
The sporting situation is even reversing the balance of power observed in recent years. Mercedes Benz dominates the beginning of the new regulatory era, while Verstappen has still not won a race in 2026 and occupies only sixth place in the championship with 109 points.
Mercedes Benz Therefore, there is no longer any need to pursue the Dutchman with the same fervor. The team can observe him, wait for developments in his contract with Red Bull and let Wolff Maintain contact discreetly. In other words: no urgency, no commitment, but above all, no door permanently closed.
The duo Verstappen-Antonelli exists today only in projections of Toto Wolff. Mercedes Benz Brackley still plans to maintain its current lineup in 2027, and no concrete negotiations to reunite the two drivers have been confirmed. But this simple public statement already speaks volumes about Brackley's emotional hierarchy.
Antonelli represents the future. Verstappen remains the champion that Wolff has long dreamed of adding to his team. RussellHe, on the other hand, represents the present, a comfortable position in appearance, but rarely the most reassuring when the boss starts talking about the future.
For 2027, nothing should change. After 2027, George Russell has just learned that Toto Wolff already has a very nice replacement idea.
