Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has faced growing speculation that the team could be set to make a move for Max Verstappen.
The four-time world drivers’ champion is believed to be weighing up his future at Red Bull, with the Silver Arrows heavy favourites to land his signature should he decide to depart.
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are both out of contract at Mercedes at the end of the 2025 season, but Wolff has continually insisted he has no intention of dropping either of them .
And the 53-year-old reiterated his stance on the matter during an interview with Austrian media, ORF, stating that the priority is not to sign the highly talented Dutchman.
“The direction we’re going is that we want to continue with George and Kimi,” he confirmed. “That’s the top priority. Everyone is up to date.”
Wolff then went on to talk about the fact that his and Verstappen’s planes were recently spotted in Sardinia, saying: “The new thing is that people are making photo collages with the planes.
“We’ve never had this before. Just because you’re on holiday next to each other doesn’t mean you’re working together in Formula 1.
“We’ve always gotten along. It just so happens that we spend our holidays in similar areas.”
Antonelli and Russell in the spotlight
Despite saying he is happy with his racing duo going forward, Wolff has made no secret of his desire to one day work alongside one of the sport’s greatest drivers.
Indeed, Verstappen was previously a prime target of his own as he looked for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, before placing his trust in rookie Antonelli.
Verstappen, for his part, insists his focus is firmly on improving his on-track results as he attempts to stay within touching distance of the McLaren pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
He enters this weekend ‘s Belgian Grand Prix third in the standings and desperately in need of a big performance at a track that has brought him so much success in the past .
Russell – who sits just 18 points behind Verstappen – would be hoping that this year would see his remarkable 2024 victory snatched away in brutal fashion courtesy of a shock post-race disqualification.
