Wolff evasive on Russell contract questions amid Verstappen talks

Russell is out of contract at the end of this season, and the smart money is on him re-signing. He has ticked every box, from being a Mercedes junior to progressing through Williams, backed by Wolff's team, before becoming a teammate to Lewis Hamilton.

History shows that Russell matched and often beat Hamilton in their last season together in 2024. With teenager Kimi Antonelli fast-tracked by Mercedes to the senior team, replacing Hamilton, Russell became the de facto number one driver in the team.

A role Russell has fulfilled with aplomb. He has five podiums this season so far, including the win in Canada last time out. But still, a deal is not a slam dunk as long as Verstappen's future at Red Bull appears to hang in the balance. While Wolff suggested the British driver has nothing more to prove, he failed to rule out the Dutch ace joining the team, or even deny that talks are ongoing.

Speaking to reporters on day one of the Austrian Grand Prix, Wolff was asked what more Russell must do to be confirmed. The Mercedes F1 boss replied: "Nothing. He has been part of our program since ten years or so. He's always performed to the expectations that we have set, and he's continuing to do so."

Wolff admitted: "We haven't given him a car to win a world championship in the last three years, so that's completely on us. And the times the car has been good, he has been winning races. And you can see today, he's always there. You know that when he's getting in the car, he's going to extract what is in the car.

"Having said that, for whatever reason, in early summer, those kinds of contract discussions start to end up being accelerated in the media or accelerated because of a lack of information. What I have been doing the last 30 years in a normal business, contract discussions are not being held as town halls. So, everything is normal. Everything goes to plan," insisted Wolff.

Russell is aware that Verstappen is on the radar and expects it. He was quoted as telling reporters as much, to which Wolff responded: "Again, we are going into territory that I don't want to discuss out here. But people talk, people explore, and most important is that in our organisation, we are transparent. But it doesn't change a millimetre of my opinion of George, his abilities, or anything else."

When asked to confirm: are discussions ongoing with Max, or have they taken place? Is he under serious consideration for a race seat with Mercedes for 2026? Wolff did a slick swerve without denying it: "I like what George says, and I'm always supportive of the driver.

Wolff continued: "There's no such thing as saying things I wouldn't want him to say. I think we are very transparent in the team for what we do, what we plan, and we've been like that since I was put in charge. So that's not the issue.

"At the moment, clearly, you need to explore what's happening in the future, but it doesn't change anything of what I said before about George or about Kimi, about the line-up that I'm extremely happy to have," declared Wolff.

What of Verstappen and Russell sharing the Mercedes garage as teammates? Wolff replied: "I can imagine every lineup. I had Rosberg and Hamilton fighting for a world championship, so everything else afterwards is easy. There are pros and cons of having two drivers fighting each other hard.

"We've seen examples where that functioned and other examples where it didn't. When it comes to the contract situation, our sport is about pressure, constant pressure. Whether you're in the car, outside of the car, you just need to cope with that."

Wolff went on to explain: "George knows that, like any other driver. I feel that when you're being put in a comfort zone, sometimes that is actually more detrimental to performance than having a certain pressure point in the system."

As for a deadline to sign Verstappen, Wolff answered with another slick swerve: "Well, you make it sound like we have been asking when do you want to join and here are the terms. That's not how it is and how it works. I come back to my previous answer.

"I just want to have the conversations behind closed doors, not town halls. We have two drivers that have been in our program since a long time, drivers that I'm perfectly happy to have, drivers that will do great in the future of the team. So it's a bit different, the situation. For me, that is having integrity and being humble about the situation, respectful of the people, and that's what I and what we are trying to do in the team.

"But, yes, I've been in situations like this before. Also, before I was doing Formula 1. Some of the conversations are more difficult than others," concluded Wolff, who, when all is said and done, looks to be keeping all his options open as long as he can this 2026 F1 Silly Season.