Toto Wolff's annual courtship of Max Verstappen is on ice. Mercedes locked in George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for 2027 back in June, and Verstappen re-upped with Red Bull ahead of Zandvoort, closing the door on a move that never had much chance anyway. Last year's contact was serious—Wolff openly explored whether cooperation could happen as he scrambled to replace Lewis Hamilton. This time was different. Mercedes committed early to the Russell-Antonelli pairing, and Verstappen, despite his first winless stretch since 2015, chose the devil he knows. Wolff expects the next opening in two or three years, when Verstappen will have his pick of multiple teams instead of just one. The Austrian isn't surprised Verstappen stayed. Red Bull has stumbled this season, but Wolff figures the usual suspects—Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes—will all be back in the hunt once the new regs mature. Verstappen made the logical call.
Read the full story at Autosport
