Toto Wolff makes new Max Verstappen admission after driver demotion warning

Toto Wolff said that Mercedes is not afraid of forming a Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli driver line-up one day.

Wolff has consistently stated his satisfaction with Mercedes’ current Antonelli and George Russell pairing. His Verstappen and Antonelli admission comes after Wolff threatened to drop Antonelli or Russell should a title rivalry comparable to Lewis Hamilton versus Nico Rosberg break out between them.

Mercedes would not ‘shy from’ Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

The Mercedes F1 2026 title rivalry which was brewing between Antonelli and Russell – the firm wheel-to-wheel racing in Canada a memorable highlight – has cooled in recent rounds.

Russell has fallen 59 points behind championship leader Antonelli, the Brit attributing his drop-off in results largely to gremlins in the Mercedes power unit.

Should Russell work his way back into the title picture this season or beyond, then he and Antonelli have been warned.

Wolff made it clear that he will not accept a repeat of the toxic Hamilton versus Rosberg rivalry. He would drop one of Russell or Antonelli before that happens.

“That’s never going to happen to the team again. Simple,” Wolff told RacingNews365.

“I’m just taking a driver out if he does that.”

Perhaps, Wolff has a Plan B should he ever feel the need to take such drastic action.

The future of Verstappen at Red Bull continues to serve as a key talking point in Formula 1. Verstappen to McLaren is a rumour which has strengthened recently.

The Mercedes talk has bubbled away, though Wolff’s instance has been that the team is happy with Antonelli and Russell.

But that does not mean that Wolff is ruling out signing Verstappen one day.

“We wouldn’t shy away from having Max and Kimi in the team together at some point,” he told Sky Germany.

Antonelli has made great strides in F1 2026 to become the championship leader few had tipped him to be.

The Italian has claimed six grand prix wins during the first-half of the season. He leads the standings by 50 points from Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.

“I think the lad is simply very good at taking on board and putting into practice the feedback he receives,” Wolff said of Antonelli’s rapid rise.

More on Max Verstappen from PlanetF1.com

Helmut Marko delivers bleak Max Verstappen title verdict as Red Bull concerns grow

Max Verstappen: ‘We’re not here to make TikToks, we’re here to win’

As for the prospect of Antonelli one day uniting with Verstappen at Mercedes, Red Bull knows what it must do to keep its star driver, Verstappen having swerved the chance to affirm his continued Red Bull commitment.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies recently PlanetF1.com and others that “Max has made clear to us that he wants to continue with the team. It’s equally clear that he needs a fast car for him to be happy with the team.”

He added: “If the car is back where we want it to be, there will be no discussion.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next: Russell tipped to explore Audi move as Steiner makes F1 2028 prediction