Toto Wolff explicitly lays out interest in bringing Max Verstappen to Mercedes in 2027

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has explicitly expressed interest in targeting Max Verstappen for the 2027 F1 season. Much has been made and written about the growing proximity of the two camps, and there were many who expected the Dutch driver to pull the trigger for 2026 as well.

Max Verstappen signed a long-term contract with Red Bull that extends to 2028. However, that contract has certain exit clauses that activate at different points of the season, and if the driver wants to leave the team, he can do that.

At the same time, the Austrian team has been struggling with a consistent drop in form in the last 18 odd months. It's not a title contender anymore, and for 2026, with the team building its power unit for the first time, there's not as much optimism in the project.

At the same time, there has been an increased proximity between the Max Verstappen and Toto Wolff camps. The two were spotted spending the summer break together in leaked pictures, which further led to speculation of a future partnership.

During all of this, George Russell is looking at his contract extension getting delayed, with the speculated reason being Wolff's unwillingness to give him a long-term contract. In a development that's not going to make Russell feel any better, in an interview with the Telegraph, Wolff explicitly expressed an interest in hiring Max Verstappen for 2027.

The Austrian was questioned about the Dutchman's future, where he will analyze the field in 2026 and make a call on the basis of that. Wolff exclaimed that he hoped Mercedes was the one in the best position, and Verstappen ended up coming to them. He said,

"Hopefully, we'll be that team, the one with the best credentials. And then I'll only have to pay ten percent of what I might have paid this year. And that's exactly what I said to his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, haha! He said: 'You're a cheap Austrian.' I replied: 'And you're a greedy Dutchman…'"

Toto Wolff puts down chances of a Max Verstappen-Mercedes alliance at 50%

While Wolff admits that he would hope Mercedes does end up having Max Verstappen in the team, he's still pragmatic enough to know that the partnership might not happen. Talking about how everything in F1 comes down to timing, Wolff claimed that there was a 50% chance that the partnership would happen. He said,

"Well, we get along really well personally. When you're on the same wavelength, everything goes a bit easier. We think alike about a lot of things. Racing-wise, but also about other things. But it's possible we'll never work together because the timing just isn't right."

He added,

"That's a 50 percent chance. The other 50 percent is the chance we'll race together at some point in our careers, if it feels right for both of us and suits both sides."

It would be interesting to see what happens next here because while the two parties get on well, if Mercedes doesn't emerge as the most favorable option in 2026, Verstappen isn't going to that team.