Max Verstappen holds the key to the Formula 1 driver market. Many big names are waiting for the world champion to decide on his future before confirming their long-term plans.
Chief among them is Mercedes. Team principal Toto Wolff is ready to bide his time in the Lewis Hamilton replacement process.
Wolff won’t want to commit to a replacement until he receives a definitive ‘no’ from Verstappen. He’s already held talks with the Red Bull driver over a possible move.
There’s ‘chatter in the paddock’ that the Dutchman could leave in 2026 instead, and that’s also at the forefront of Wolff’s mind. It’s partly why he’s only offered Carlos Sainz a guaranteed one-year deal.
Sainz himself is attracting interest from Red Bull, or more specifically their team boss Christian Horner, as he tries to find a competitive seat for next year. The Spaniard is, of course, the victim of Hamilton’s Ferrari move.
However, the 29-year-old may be wary of avoiding an ‘impossible’ clash with Verstappen. He was apparently hurt by a perceived difference in treatment during their time together at Toro Rosso in 2015, and so a move to Milton Keynes would be much more attractive if he was partnering Sergio Perez.
George Russell Mercedes seat is at risk for 2026
With Mercedes eyeing up a 2026 move for Verstappen, George Russell’s future is in a degree of doubt. The Englishman’s current deal, worth £279k-a-week according to Spotrac, expires at the end of next year.
While Verstappen would only take up one of the two seats, the other has been earmarked for academy driver Kimi Antonelli. Mercedes see the F2 youngster as the next Charles Leclerc.
As such, Formula Passion reports that Russell ‘could be forced’ to find a new team despite his solid performances this year. He’s scored 44 points so far, nine more than Hamilton.
Russell also leads the seven-time world champion 6-1 in the qualifying head-to-head, and 5-2 in the races. But this story is still one to ‘watch out for’.
George Russell would have Kimi Antonelli for ‘breakfast’
There’s a real chance that Russell and Antonelli form Mercedes’ driver line-up for next year. And this would be uncharted territory for the 26-year-old.
After starting out at Williams and then spending three seasons alongside Hamilton, he’d be the senior driver within the team. And with that, there would come a degree of pressure.
Journalist Peter Windsor says that Russell would expect to have Antonelli ‘for breakfast’. Anything less, and it could put him danger for 2026.
The Briton has scored 11 podiums in his career so far and took his one and only victory at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix. He could potentially look to replace Verstappen at Red Bull in a couple of years, but they have their sights set on the two McLaren drivers for the moment.
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