Verstappen and Antonelli, present and future of F1
The times when Toto Wolff courted Max Verstappen seem far away. They seem so already, because the Austrian has never abandoned the idea of bringing the four-time world champion to Mercedes. Simply, it is talked about less because priorities have changed in Brackley: Wolff’s foresight has laid the foundations for the explosion of Kimi Antonelli and has transformed Verstappen from a necessity to a luxury.
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Wolff, however, can afford this luxury. And he is strongly tempted. Just as he had the courage to launch Antonelli, he would have it to pair Verstappen with the Bolognese for a duo that represents the present and future of F1.
Wolff’s words
The pairing of Verstappen and Antonelli is one that Wolff has in mind for the medium-term future, considering that Super Max will hardly be freed from Red Bull for 2027 (his contract expires at the end of 2028) and that Mercedes cannot simply drop Russell for half a bad season. But the scenario is very clear in Wolff’s mind: “Kimi and Max come from different generations, but I am not afraid to have them on the same team at some point“, this is the Austrian’s comment to Sky Deutschland.
“I have seen and had worse, like the pairing between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. I would manage it differently today“.
In a scenario that sees Antonelli and Verstappen at Mercedes, the sacrificed one would naturally be George Russell. A dynamic that until a few months ago would have been unthinkable, but with his disappointing 2026 the Brit has become the second choice in the team, and is indeed called to a second half of the season on the rise.
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