Mercedes crew principal Toto Wolff believes he dealt with the 2026 Method 1 driver market “in probably the most simple and honest manner”.
That's regardless of Wolff wooing four-time world champion Max Verstappen till it emerged that the Purple Bull driver could be unable to activate a efficiency clause to exit his Purple Bull contract early; the hypothesis solid doubt on incumbents George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli's short-term future.
Mercedes ultimately made an unchanged line-up official on Wednesday forward of the 2026 season.
Wolff instructed Sky Sports activities F1 on Friday that he was going to study from what he referred to as a “mistake”, insisting “there wasn't any on-purpose flirting” and claiming this was “only a coincidence”, whereas admitting the uncertainty over the driving force line-up ended up being “destabilising for everybody”.
Subsequently requested by Autosport within the Friday press convention if he had skilled any conflicting moments when negotiating 2026 offers, given he referred to as it his ‘duty' to seek out out the place Verstappen's future lay, Wolff stated extra confidently: “Being open and clear is one of the best path ahead. Typically it bites you a bit. And while you look again, perhaps sure occasions may have been higher – coincidences that occurred. However I've at all times finished it in probably the most simple and honest manner.
“I stand by the driving force selections – by George and Kimi. Like I stated, that is the total focus, and that was at all times the intention, all through the extra tough half over the summer season.”
Even after Verstappen was dominated out of the driving force market, it took two and a half months for Mercedes to finalise its 2026 contracts, with Russell's contractual PR appearances allegedly the primary challenge.
George Russell, Mercedes, Toto Wolff, Mercedes
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
With hindsight, Wolff insisted this line-up was a “no-brainer” and there was “by no means” any doubt rookie Antonelli was going to make progress.
“It was at all times the choice that we took from the get-go,” the Austrian stated. “It was the lineup that we selected final yr. We knew that George can maintain up the management position in there. It's been actually nice, and Kimi is in a studying yr. So going ahead, it was just about a no brainer.
“If you take a look at [Antonelli's] junior document, his persona, there isn't any doubt in me or inside the crew that it was the incorrect choice to take and provides him the chance.”
Antonelli completed the final two grands prix within the prime 5 after a tricky European spell in what Wolff nonetheless calls “a studying season”. The Mercedes crew boss reckons the 19-year-old Italian will acquire competitiveness in his sophomore marketing campaign as F1 strikes on to brand-new vehicles in 2026.
“You have got 5 or 6 races to go – tracks that he would not know,” Wolff identified. “Austin is certainly one of them. I am certain we'll see some excellent outcomes. We'll see trickier periods and trickier weekends.
“However all of that's being reset with the beginning of subsequent season. He could have seen the tracks. The vehicles are new for each driver – that's a giant issue. These guys have been round these vehicles for some time, and he could have seen find out how to finest handle stress from the media and the entire stakeholders. That was the intention for this season – to do precisely that.”
Extra reporting by Ronald Vording
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