Mercedes chief reveals plans for contract talks amid Max Verstappen rumors

Toto Wolff has revealed when Mercedes plan to open contract talks with their leading driver, as rumors of a move for Max Verstappen swirl.

Russell is racing on an expiring deal this year, although Wolff has frequently insisted that the plan continues to be that the Brit will sign an extension with the Silver Arrows.

The Brit has already achieved three podiums in the opening five races of the season, and sits in fourth in the drivers' championship, just 14 points behind Verstappen and 26 behind early leader Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen is rumoured to be looking for a way out at Red Bull, following the team's poor start to the season, and Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko recently said that the Dutchman's future is of 'great concern' to the team.

Mercedes and Aston Martin are two teams that have been linked with a move for Verstappen, but Wolff has constantly reiterated he is happy with his driver lineup, now revealing when contract talks will take place with Russell.

"We will pick those talks up once we’re in the European season, there’s no stress," Wolff told The Athletic.

"He’s performing to the highest levels, as we have hoped and expected. He’s delivering, there’s no doubt about that. There’s not more you could demand from that.

"We have this summer window. We have no reason to challenge or question anything as it is now."

Mercedes' driver dilemma

Russell's team-mate Kimi Antonelli is also only contracted until the end of the current season, but the 18-year-old has not put a foot wrong so far in his debut season in the sport.

Antonelli has already achieved four points-scoring finishes in his rookie season, and currently sits ahead of the man he replaced and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in the championship standings.

Antonelli became the youngest driver to lead a race in F1 history at the recent Japanese Grand Prix, and is getting closer to challenging for his first F1 podium.

It's unlikely that Wolff would want to rock the boat with his driver lineup, having already had to deal with Hamilton leaving last season, but if Verstappen was openly available, then the Austrian would surely have a decision to make.

Antonelli has plenty of time to grow away from a full-time seat in the sport, and could even be loaned out to a team further down the grid, which would give Mercedes space to field a Verstappen-Russell driver lineup for a couple of seasons before reassessing.

Wolff has stated throughout, however, that he is happy with his current driver pairing, while Verstappen has not publicly declared that he wants to leave the Red Bull team with whom he has won four consecutive world championship titles.

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