Montoya: Russell forced Wolff’s hand, if he wants Max then Kimi must go

Reading the Silly Season playing field beyond 2026, Montoya reckons Wolff “will have to get rid of Kimi Antonelli” if he truly wants to bring the reigning F1 World Champion Verstappen to Brackley. Suggesting Russell's contract was a chess game, which the driver may have won.

Montoya is adamant that Russell’s relentless progress has made him indispensable within Mercedes: “The sticking point is that George is getting in a stronger and a stronger position and he's forcing Toto's hand to pretty much give whatever George wants.”

He then questioned the logic of adding Verstappen to the mix: “The way George is driving, do they really need Max? And if they do, are they really going to get rid of George? Well, would it be Kimi then because he’s a favourite child almost?”

Montoya acknowledged that Antonelli has impressed in his rookie season but insisted Russell’s consistency and victories have raised the internal pressure: “The favourite child is finishing 20 or 30 seconds behind. He did a really good job in the last race.

"That’s the tough part. Antonelli’s doing a much better job and he’s mature and everything’s coming together, but George keeps stepping up. And winning. It’s forcing the hand of Toto to say, ‘If I want Max, I need to get rid of Kimi.’ That would be the scenario. Kimi is doing a good job too, so do they really need Max?” According to Montoya, that form leaves Wolff boxed into a corner.

Truth is, according to Jos Verstappen, Wolff lost out on Max a decade ago when they were shaping the kid's future, post-karting and during his final year in Formula 3. Invited to dinner by Toto, nothing apparently came of it.

Not too long ago, Wolff admitted he was ill-informed by his Mercedes scouts during the Dutchman's Formula 3 years, banking on Esteban Ocon instead. A trip to Red Bull Ring and a 15-minute meeting with Helmut Marko had Verstappen junior in a Toro Rosso seat for his 2015 Australian Grand Prix debut, at the age of 17 years and 166 days.

The rest is remarkable F1 history written by the Dutch ace. And goes down as Wolff's greatest fail, amid one of the greatest careers as F1 team boss in our sport's history.

This week, Mercedes confirmed that Russell and Antonelli will drive for them in 2026, but no word on what will happen thereafter. Again, suggesting the wait is on to see how Verstappen, Red Bull and Ford perform and gel as their partnership kicks off.

Montoya also praised Wolff’s long-standing policy of equality between his drivers but warned that Verstappen’s arrival would inevitably disrupt that balance: “Toto has always been very fair about being equal in both cars and he let them race from the beginning.

"Toto has always been very clear: don’t take each other out because then we’re going to have problems. But go at it. And we’ve seen that a few times and it’s always been good to see.”

The multiple Grand Prix and Indy 500 winner added that the current Mercedes situation reminds him of the volatile rivalries of the past: “You can see a Prost vs Senna-type situation in the last race of the season."

Montoya’s remarks highlight the shifting power dynamic inside Mercedes as Wolff balances loyalty to his protégé Antonelli, Russell’s growing authority, and the tantalising prospect of pairing either man with Verstappen for 2026.