Toto Wolff confirms George Russell to remain at Mercedes with Max Verstappen 'off the radar'
Toto Wolff sees no reason to change Mercedes' driver line-up for 2027, despite the potential availability of Max Verstappen
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has confirmed that George Russell will remain with Mercedes into the 2027 season, despite Max Verstappen potentially being available for hire.
With Mercedes leading the way in the constructors' championship and failing to win only once this term, the team is an attractive proposition for any driver. And in the case of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, the admiring looks have been shot in both directions.
Although Kimi Antonelli is in the final year of his Mercedes contract, it was believed that George Russell, who is contract to the end of 2027, was the driver under threat should the team make a move for the four-time champion, but after FP3 in Austria, Wolff moved to end speculation of an altered roster.
Asked if comments from Russell suggesting he would "definitely" be at the team next year meant that Verstappen is now off the radar, Wolff told Sky Sports F1: "Yeah, we don't want to change things, and we've said that also to George. I think it's a line-up that is good for us. I'm very happy with the two of them."
Wolff's comments come as it has emerged that Verstappen has held secret talks with McLaren over a potential switch for 2027, although it is belived that the Dutchman is simply assessing the market at present.
Russell has endured a difficult time of it this season, after a dominant display at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix has failed to materialise into any further success.
However, not much of the blame for this can be laid at the Briton's feet, with poor luck in terms of Safety Car deployments and reliability limiting his ability to press Antonelli harder in the championship battle.
The fact that sub-par performances have been rare from his part, makes coping with the increased points gap easier for Russell, suggested Wolff.
"He's coping well," continued the Mercedes boss.
"You know, you can see the last one and a half days were difficult and then at the end, he was quickest [in FP3].
"You're talking about fine margins, and I think it's about keeping yourself in the confidence zone, trusting in your driving, trusting in your decisions that you're making with your mechanics in terms of setups. And then, often, it's just that simple, just drive.
"He doesn't need to prove to anyone that he has the speed. We know he has the speed and the ability."
Sam joined Crash.net in February 2026 with extensive experience in motorsport media, having covered numerous championships around the world.
