Max Verstappen's talks with Mercedes point to PROBLEMS for F1 star

Toto Wolff's public flattery of Max Verstappen has done little to dispel rumors that the champion of RedBull To Mercedes.

Since Lewis Hamilton Since announcing his departure from the team, Wolff has made it more than clear that Verstappen is his number one target and, despite the Dutchman's protests, he remains adamant in his pursuit.

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Wolff's dream becomes more and more of a reality as he reconciles with Max's father Jos Verstappen – their ratio in contrast to Christian Horner seems irreparable.

While a move for 2025 has been ruled out, Wolff recently announced that 2026 and beyond was still a “possibility” following discussions with the Verstappen camp.

However, Mercedes seems to have decided for next year. The team is expected to announce that Kimi Antonelli will run alongside George Russell before the next season.

However, if Verstappen can be persuaded to move to Mercedes in 2026 or 2027, what does that mean for Antonelli and Russell?

And most importantly: Who will Toto Wolff choose to replace him?

Antonelli ushers in a brand new Mercedes future

Wolff is determined to make up for Antonelli's previous mistakes, having let Verstappen slip away from him early in his career and welcomed him into the Red Bull family.

Although Antonelli is not fighting for the Formula 2 championship, he has nevertheless shown promise in his junior career and is already champion in both the Italian F4 series and the Formula Regional series.

In F2, the Italian has achieved impressive race victories, especially his first victory in the Sprint at Silverstonewhere he emulated Hamilton and took victory in difficult conditions with an eight-second lead over P2.

The 18-year-old's results confirm Mercedes' decision to skip Formula 3 and promote Antonelli directly to Formula 2 – a decision based on confidence in the youngster's abilities.

Mercedes has also taken on a supportive responsibility towards Antonelli, which underlines Wolff's relationship with the star.

Antonelli revealed that he called Wolff after feeling depressed about his 10th place start at Silverstone, and thanked his boss for giving him back the confidence that helped him take his first win.

The pair have an almost familial bond, not unlike that of Hamilton and Ron Dennis when he first joined McLaren – the legendary F1 boss even described his relationship with the champion as “surrogate father and son”.

Antonelli must also be compared to Hamilton, who could fight for race wins and perhaps even a title in his first F1 season – just as the Briton did in 2007.

His pedigree suggests that Antonelli could be a special talent and, barring a few inevitable rookie mistakes, could pose a real threat to Russell's status at Mercedes.

And more importantly, if Verstappen remains an option for 2026/2027, Russell could find himself in a vulnerable position.

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Antonelli's arrival makes Russell even more vulnerable

Russell would no doubt have been overjoyed to hear of Hamilton’s retirement.

This would finally be his chance to take the lead at Mercedes and spearhead a championship campaign with him at the centre.

But that didn't quite happen, did it?

If Mercedes had opted for Carlos Sainz or the interim solution Valtteri Bottas While they waited for Antonelli, Russell would have been the undisputed number one.

However, Antonelli is an unknown quantity for Russell and the Italian's close relationship with Wolff could damage his career.

There is a chance that Antonelli will fail to impress at Mercedes, while Russell has the experience and consistency to secure race wins and perhaps even a title.

But if you look at the example of Oscar Piastri At McLaren, the Australian quickly proved his skills and is now on a par with Lando Norris.

Assuming Antonelli can repeat this feat, Mercedes will be faced with a difficult decision if Verstappen suddenly shows interest in the team.

Although Russell has openly stated that he would love the opportunity to race alongside Verstappen in the same car, Antonelli's promotion could mean he never gets the chance.

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Russell should be alarmed by Wolff's interest in Verstappen

Regardless of how happy Mercedes is with its driver line-up for the 2026/2027 season, it is hard to imagine Wolff passing up the opportunity to sign Verstappen.

The Dutchman could be a four-time world champion or even more by then, and Ferrari have shown by replacing Sainz with Hamilton that a championship conquers all.

So if Verstappen does indeed move to Mercedes, who will the team keep by his side?

Wolff's commitment to Antonelli and their relationship represent a bond that will be difficult to break at Mercedes.

Russell is undoubtedly convinced that he is the team's best option and trusts the team to stay loyal to him, but Wolff's faith in Antonelli and his commitment to Verstappen should worry him.

It is too early to judge whether Russell will completely resist this pressure, rise to the challenge or be seduced by another team.

What this scenario shows, however, is that whether Verstappen joins or not, and regardless of the driver line-up, Mercedes is in an incredibly strong position.

While Mercedes' driver market dilemma means trouble for Russell, it is also a declaration of intent to rival F1 teams: They will once again be chasing a world championship title and have the talent needed – especially if they master the 2026 regulations.

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