Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has reiterated that he has no plan to sign Max Verstappen in Formula 1 as he and George Russell are “100 per cent aligned” on a new deal.
Russell’s contract is due to expire once the current season ends, but Wolff has been adamant that Mercedes intends to tie him down alongside Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
However, that hasn’t stopped rumours persisting that Mercedes could attempt to entice Verstappen from Red Bull amid Wolff’s long-standing interest in his signature.
Wolff missed out on the Dutchman in 2014 before his graduation to F1 and again last season when sounding out a replacement for the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
But despite his conviction that their paths will cross at some point, Mercedes looks destined to commit to Russell and Antonelli as a pairing into F1’s new era in 2026.
And while Mercedes has tended to post announcements at the Italian Grand Prix in September, Wolff has retorted that negotiations with Russell will extend until then.
Asked whether Russell will have to wait until Monza to put pen to paper, Wolff told media including Motorsport Week in Monaco: “No. Definitely not that long.
“George and I are totally clear of how this is going to go, and 100 per cent alignment. There is no such thing as dragging this on because that’s not what we do.”
Mercedes need ‘another few months’ to confirm Russell
However, Wolff also suggested that an agreement with Russell over a renewal isn’t going to materialise in the short term as Mercedes focuses on improving the W16.
“If we start to talk about it too much in the media that is going to be a never-ending story,” he said. “George and I are completely clear how this is all going to pan out.
Pressed on whether a deal was moving closer, Wolff urged to give him “another few months” before voicing his irritation at the difficulties Mercedes endured at Imola.
“It’s annoying,” he expressed as Russell dropped from third on the grid to seventh in the race, while Antonelli retired on home soil with a technical issue.
“We don’t seem to get on top of some of the issues. Tyre deg in the race, we overheat. We can’t always wait for colder races to come as we also need to learn for next year.”
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