F1 fans online have reacted to Toto Wolff's comments about George Russell's contract extension at Mercedes, with many claiming that the Austrian is trying to keep his options open in case Max Verstappen comes knocking. Wolff has claimed that a driver does not have the right mindset if he believes he would be quicker with a longer contract.Russell has still not signed a contract extension to stay at Mercedes beyond the 2025 season, even though both him and his boss Toto Wolff have claimed that this now remains a mere formality. Same is the case for Kimi Antonelli, who is also exptected to stay with the Silver Arrows in 2026.While speaking about the contract situation of his drivers to Sky Sports during the Italian Grand Prix weekend, Wolff claimed how Mercedes always prefers to have their drivers on 1+1 deals rather than long-term contracts. He also added that he feels a driver does not have the right "mindset" if they feel they would perform better on a longer deal.Fans on X shared their reactions to these comments from Wolff, with many left wondering if the 51-year-old has one eye on bringing Max Verstappen to the team in the near future."Elite gaslighting 🤣 he wants to keep options open for max," said one fan.Marco van Bree @MarcoDiBreeLINKElite gaslighting 🤣 he wants to keep options open for max"Watch him give Max a 10 year deal, with ambassadorship and keys to the castle in 2026," joked another user.Bram1050🏍️ @1050BramLINKWatch him give Max a 10 year deal, with ambassadorship and keys to the castle in 2026."Reading between the lines it actually says 'because Max might become available, so….'," claimed yet another fan.The Formu1a @The_Formu1aLINKReading between the lines it actually says “because Max might become available, so….”Here are some more reactions:"George has surely spoken to Laurent by now. Toto doesn't appear to want him unless he's all that's left anyway," said another user.Supernaut ⚡ @DeSupernautLINKGeorge has surely spoken to Laurent by now. Toto doesn't appear to want him unless he's all that's left anyway."Should start making his own contracts 1+1s instead of 3 years then," said another fan.GRbambi ⁶³ @BambixRussellLINKShould start making his own contracts 1+1s instead of 3 years then"Toto has always been just as toxic as Horner (if not more), but for somehow he never gets the same backlash," claimed another user.UnderdogFan @UD_RaceNewsLINKToto has always been just as toxic as Horner (if not more), but for somehow he never gets the same backlashWhile Max Versappen has confirmed that he is staying at Red Bull for 2026, his future beyond that still remains uncertain. 1+1 contracts for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli mean that Wolff will hold the power to remove his drivers post the 2026 season if the 4x world champion shows interest in arriving at Brackley.Former Mercedes man claims George Russell giving Toto Wolff "his own medicine"Toto Wolff and George Russell during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend - Source: GettyFormer Mercedes F1 driver Nico Rosberg has claimed that George Russell may well be giving Toto Wolff a taste of his own medicine by being a tough negotiator. The former world champion also claimed that there are only a "couple of terms" that Russell has not agreed to yet.Speaking on Sky Sports F1's podcast after the Italian GP, Rosberg claimed that Wolff is a "horrible" negotiator, but added that Russell may be playing him at his own game at the moment.“But now, it’s George doing the kind of reverse to Toto. It’s like he’s fighting Toto with his own medicine. George apparently is just not happy with a couple of terms in the contract," said Rosberg.Rosberg then added that Russell may well have been on a low salary at the moment as he came through the Mercedes junior program. He also claimed that the Brit considers himself as an equal of Lando Norris, who is on a much higher salary.