Toto Wolff makes Max Verstappen commitment ahead of 2027 | F1 | Sport

Toto Wolff has ruled out a Mercedes swoop for Max Verstappen and committed to his drivers for 2027. The Dutchman has long been linked with a switch to the Silver Arrows and Wolff made no secret of his desire to convince him to defect from Red Bull last year.

But even though Verstappen is pondering his future again, and has the contract clause to quit Red Bull this year if he wants out, it appears Mercedes is no longer an option. The team would never consider dropping wonderkid Kimi Antonelli, leaving George Russell potentially in the firing line. But the Brit said in Austria this week that he will “one hundred percent” race for Mercedes next year.

And Wolff confirmed Russell’s comments mean Verstappen is finally off his radar. “Yeah, we don’t want to change things,” the Austrian said yesterday. “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.”

It is a significant boost to Red Bull who are nervous about the prospect of losing their star driver. Verstappen met with the company’s Austria-based top brass in recent weeks but declined to give a firm commitment to the team beyond the current campaign. His manager, Raymond Vermeulen, has said his client would prefer to spend his whole career with Red Bull, but caveated that by saying Verstappen also wants to be in a winning car.

Mercedes is no longer an option, while Ferrari is unlikely to be either with Charles Leclerc contracted into the 2030s and Lewis Hamilton adamant this is not his final Formula 1 season. But Red Bull must still worry about the prospect of a McLaren swoop after reports of secret talks between Verstappen’s management and the Woking-based squad.

Sources suggest the Dutchman and his advisers are simply exploring their options at this point. But the prospect of a blockbuster driver partnership between Verstappen and Lando Norris cannot yet be ruled out. Especially as Red Bull’s ideal replacement for their star man, should they need one, is Oscar Piastri, opening the door for a potential driver swap.

Publicly, Red Bull remain calm about the future of their star driver and hope that a significant upgrade, introduced in Austria this weekend, will show him that they are capable of developing their way back to the very front of the grid. Team principal Laurent Mekies has conceded, though, that his future is not yet certain.

The Frenchman said: “Max wants a fast car, always wanted a fast car, and he completely trusts us in making sure we are doing everything we can in the short-term and the long-term to ensure we return to success and continue to succeed. We look at the results on the track, that’s the only thing that matters, and hopefully the results will improve rapidly.”