While Toto Wolff has declared he won’t try to entice Max Verstappen to Mercedes, McLaren chief Zak Brown has offered his take on the F1 champion’s current situation
McLaren chief Zak Brown has stirred the F1 pot by suggesting Max Verstappen may switch to Mercedes in the near future, despite Mercedes boss Toto Wolff making it clear that he’s not pursuing the Dutch star. Verstappen, who is contracted with Red Bull until 2028, had caught the eye of Mercedes previously.
Wolff, speaking ahead of the Australian Grand Prix last weekend, stated his intention to focus on his current drivers and hinted at a new deal for George Russell.
“We need to concentrate on our driver line-up. I don’t flirt outside if I’m in a good relationship,” he said. “So at the moment that (a move for Verstappen) is not on any radar. “I don’t plan to shift my concentration away from these guys and (will) make sure that George has some visibility very soon, or has a contract very soon.”
But Wolff’s assertions didn’t prevent Brown from controversially predicting Verstappen’s departure from Christian Horner’s team to possibly join Mercedes, or even Aston Martin, by 2026.
“I think he’ll [Verstappen] leave at the end of this year, most likely to Merc,” Brown said in an interview with The Telegraph.
“There’s been talk of Aston Martin, too, with Adrian Newey joining. But as great as Adrian is, and he’s the greatest ever, you need a whole team around you.
“You need the culture. That takes time. If I was betting, I’d bet on Merc. In the last 10 years, they’ve won the championship seven or eight times. Last year they won five races. They have stability and we know Toto likes him.”
While Wolff has made some waves with his recent remarks, he strikes a remarkably different tone he did in August 2024 about the potential of the four-time world champion joining Mercedes, reports the Express.
“Hopefully that’s [Russell and Kimi Antonelli] going to be the line-up for 2026 and beyond,” the 53-year-old said last year. “But that doesn’t close the door on Max being with us in 2026 or beyond, because we want to still keep all the options open in the same way he does. So what I enjoyed in our conversations is there is never a hidden agenda.
“Somehow I have that feeling [that Mercedes and Verstappen’s paths will cross]. But I don’t know when that could be. Whether it’s ’26, whether it’s three years’ later, I don’t know yet.”
Mercedes are yet to solidify their driver roster on a long-term basis. Antonelli proved his mettle in Melbourne with an impressive P4 finish, however he is on a one-year contract.
Russell, who has been with Mercedes since before he was in F1, and who has stepped up to lead the team following Lewis Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari, said he was confident the team would stick with him.
“We have had such a long-term relationship and so much trust between one another and we are focused on getting Mercedes back on top and trying to win races and championships,” Russell said.
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