Mercedes team principal and chief executive Toto Wolff has denied rumors on the eve of the Australian Grand Prix weekend that he’s still seeking to sign reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen for 2

Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says a pitch to sign Max Verstappen for 2026 is "not on any radar". George Russell's Mercedes contract runs out at the end of this season and Wolff had talks with Verstappen last year before opting for Italian 18-year-old rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who has moved to Ferrari.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has called for a ban surrounding the swearing controversy that has swept through Formula 1. Max Verstappen has been embroiled in a row with the FIA around the use of swear words in official press conferences, having been given an off-track penalty for using an expletive at the Singapore Grand Prix .