Wolff plays down Mercedes 2026 contract saga

Toto Wolff says Mercedes’ driver lineup for 2026 is already settled, with George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli staying put.

With Max Verstappen now committed to Red Bull into the next rules era, speculation about a major shake-up at Brackley has faded. Still, reports suggested Russell was pushing for more than a one-year extension.

Wolff, however, dismissed the uncertainty, insisting negotiations are only bogged down by small details. In an interview with TZ, he explained: "The travel and marketing days need to be optimised.

"Like how many hours should be invested. We want the drivers to perform optimally, and I think we've put a lot of pressure on both of them with marketing and media activities. To some extent, we're rethinking that."

The Austrian also admitted why talks went quiet during the summer. "Both George and I felt we needed to just get out of each other's face for a while," said Wolff, who spent at least a day of the break holidaying with Verstappen in Sardinia.

Talks are now back on with Russell, but Wolff insists fans should not expect any big reveal at Monza. "No," he said when asked about an announcement this weekend. "We will simply point out that we have signed the agreement, but the drivers will remain the same.

"There will be no need to even make a formal announcement about the contract renewal. We race with this mindset, so I've always said there won't be any big news."

That includes Antonelli, who has faced a stormy debut season at just 18 after stepping into Lewis Hamilton’s old seat.

Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve was scathing: "F1 is not a school. He is not improving step by step like (Gabriel) Bortoleto did. With these performances, he wouldn't be in the car at Red Bull anymore."

Former grand prix winner Ralf Schumacher echoed the criticism, saying: "He's certainly not a new Max Verstappen." But Wolff continues to back Antonelli, as does F1’s CEO Stefano Domenicali.

"He needs to understand that F1 is an environment where you grow up quickly," Domenicali said. "There are months that feel like years, days that feel like months, and not everything can go as planned for someone his age. Next season I see him as a key player, he'll be much more aware."

Domenicali added: "Kimi is my daughter's age. I've known him since he was a child. Having his family by his side will help him. I still think he could have an extraordinary career."

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur also showed leniency after Antonelli collided with Charles Leclerc at Zandvoort.

"He came to us (to apologise) but Charles wasn't there, so he found me," Vasseur explained. "I appreciated his behaviour. To overtake there, you have to take risks, and he did it wrong."