Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is adamant he stands by his driver choices, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, for the 2026 F1 season, despite the lingering noise from his interest in Max Verstappen.
The Austrian explored the possibility of poaching the four-time F1 drivers' champion, whom he has long admired and wanted to sign, from Red Bull earlier in the season.
However, with the 28-year-old committing his immediate future to the Milton Keynes-based squad, Wolff turned his attention back to current drivers Russell and Antonelli.
But once he did, the contracted extensions took longer than anticipated, with the delay tied to his lead driver.
It was widely speculated that the Briton would be the one let go if Verstappen had been successfully courted, even though he has been one of the stand-out performers in F1 this season and comfortably has the measure of Antonelli at this stage of their careers.
The precariousness of his situation is a likely cause of the protracted negotiations between Russell and Mercedes, with the five-time grand prix winner also managed by the team.
Contract length is thought to have been the major sticking point. Wolff has long maintained that drivers should not require the comfort of a multi-year deal to perform, and has highlighted on numerous occasions that the Brackley team has a history of signing 1+1 deals.
But given the external threat of Verstappen, Russell's position within the team would be insecure regardless of performance, making it plausible that he would want the stability of a longer contract, particularly with Antonelli viewed as the future of the team.
Eventually, only 2026 was confirmed when Russell and the young Italian's extensions were announced by the team.
Nonetheless, Wolff stands by his drivers — and his handling of a complex situation to navigate, whilst acknowledging to media, including RacingNews365, that it can come back to bite.
The 53-year-old said: "Being open and transparent is the best path forward. Sometimes it bites you a bit.
"And when you look back, maybe certain events could have been better — coincidences that happened.
"But I’ve always done it in the most straightforward and fair way. I stand by the driver choices — by George and Kimi.
"This is the full focus, and that was always the aim, throughout the more tricky part over the summer."
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