Toto Wolff disputes George Russell’s claim about Max Verstappen

Toto Wolff has disputed George Russell’s claim that his contract talks are being delayed because Mercedes are talking to Max Verstappen.

Russell, who is out of contract next year, suggested ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix that Mercedes are having conversations with Verstappen about signing the four-time world champion next season.

Despite making an impressive start to the 2025 F1 season and claiming his and Mercedes’ first victory of the year last time out in Canada, Russell still hasn’t been handed a contract extension that was widely viewed as being a formality.

Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until 2028 but the Dutchman is understood to have break clauses inserted into his current deal which would allow him to exit the team early.

Wolff publicly courted Verstappen last year as he looked for a replacement for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, before eventually promoting Mercedes protege Kimi Antonelli alongside Russell.

"There is no delay in George's contract negotiations because it's pretty clear, since a long time, what our timings were and are,” Wolff told Sky Sports on Friday.

"We have known each other for such a long time, so there is no such thing as a delay.

"As team principal of the best car brand in the world, it's clear you explore what a four-time world champion will do in the future, and that could be long into the future. That has no effect on us putting a signature on George's contract.”

Wolff admits Mercedes “exploring” Verstappen 

Wolff did appear to indicate that Mercedes are "exploring" the possibility of signing Verstappen.

"What we try to do in the team is be transparent as good as we are. You can choose to hold things under wraps or do what I've done over the last 12 years and put it out there and say 'this is the situation’,” he explained.

"These drivers are clever people. They talk with each other and I'm always open about these things and say it how it is.

"There's no such thing as saying 'we are going to sign Max'. This is so far away that it's not realistic. With George, we talk about everything.”

Speaking in Friday’s press conference, Wolff said he could see Verstappen and Russell teaming up at Mercedes.

"I can imagine every line-up,” Wolff said. “I had Rosberg and Hamilton and fighting for a world championship, so everything else afterwards is easy.

“There's pros and cons of having two drivers fighting each other hard. We've seen examples where that functioned and other examples where it didn’t.

“And when it comes to the contract situation, you know, our sport is pressure, constant pressure, whether you're in the car, outside of the car, you just need to cope with that. And George knows that, like any other driver knows it.

“I feel that when you're being put in a comfort zone, sometimes that is actually more detrimental to performance than having a certain pressure point in the system.”