A huge bombshell has dropped late Tuesday evening European time as Sky Sport F1 are reporting that Max Verstappen is in concrete negotiations with Mercedes as Toto Wolff looks to finally get his man, leaving Red Bull and Christian Horner with the possibility of looking for a top tier driver heading into 2026.
Toto Wolff and his efforts for over a year to get Max Verstappen in a Mercedes F1 car
Since Lewis Hamilton and Scuderia Ferrari dropped the bombshell in February 2024 that the British driver would be joining them for 2025, Toto Wolff has openly looked to get Max Verstappen in a Mercedes, and it looks like it could be a real possibility for 2026.
The Dutch driver has been the benchmark on the grid for a few seasons now, and he continues to be at present.
Speaking last year before Kimi Antonelli was announced as the replacement for Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff said Max Verstappen driving for Mercedes “needs to happen at a certain stage”.
Talking to Sky Sports in Austria, George Russell dropped a bombshell that talks were taking place with the four-time World Champion and Mercedes.
“It’s only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing.
“But from my side, if I’m performing as I’m doing, what have I got to be concerned about? There are two seats in every Formula 1 team.”
With George Russell operating at a high level in 2025, there would be no shortage of interest in the British driver if he was the one to lose his drive at Mercedes. There is no denying the tension between himself and Max Verstappen.
On the other hand, the current Red Bull driver gets on very well with Kimi Antonelli. The Italian has also spoken of his respect for the Dutchman.
The slow demise of Red Bull could take its biggest hit yet — and it would leave Christian Horner in a very difficult spot
If you think George Russell and Max Verstappen do not get on, that is nothing compared to the deep dislike Toto Wolff and Christian Horner have for each other following the events of 2021.
Should the Austrian manage to get Max Verstappen to join Mercedes for 2026, it would be a deep source of pain for the Red Bull team principal.
Questions about the future of Christian Horner would be inevitable as well. If they lose Max Verstappen to his arch enemy, it comes following the losses of Jonathan Wheatley and Adrian Newey to Sauber and Aston Martin respectively in recent times.
Despite Max Verstappen taking his fourth consecutive F1 Drivers’ Championship last year, the tension following the allegations involving Christian Horner before the 2024 F1 season have not ever fully gone away. Jos Verstappen did not hide his fury.
With Red Bull building their own engines for the first time as 2026 approaches, it remains to be seen if they could get a top quality driver should Max Verstappen head to Mercedes. It’s looking more and more likely.
