Claims of Verstappen having 'conversations' with Mercedes could overshadow Red Bull's home race

The idea of Max Verstappen joining Mercedes would have seemed outlandish when he fought Lewis Hamilton in the controversial title decider in 2021. Now it's the hot topic in the Formula 1 paddock. The buildup Friday to the Austrian Grand Prix was dominated by comments made the day before by Mercedes driver George Russell to British broadcaster Sky Sports. Russell has yet to get a contract extension for 2026 and seemed to suggest that Verstappen and Mercedes were in talks. "As Mercedes, they want to be back on top, and if you're going to be back on top you need to make sure you've got the best drivers, the best engineers, the best pit crew, and that's what Mercedes are chasing," Russell was quoted as saying. "So, it's only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing. But from my side, if I'm performing as I'm doing, what have I got to be concerned about? There are two seats in every Formula 1 team." It would be one of the biggest driver changes ever in F1 — on par with Hamilton's switch to Ferrari — if Verstappen, a Red Bull driver since childhood, joined the team which has often been his toughest challenger. It would mean working with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who was left to exclaim "that was so not right" at a decision which helped Verstappen beat then-Mercedes driver Hamilton to the 2021 title on the last lap of the season. Asked about Russell's comments and whether any talks with Verstappen were happening, Wolff signaled Mercedes would "need to explore" future developments. "I like what George says, and I'm always supportive of the driver, and there's no such thing as saying things I wouldn't want him to say," Wolff said. "I think we are very transparent in the team for what we do, what we plan, and we've been like that since I was put in charge of that. So that's not the issue. And at the moment, clearly you need to explore what's happening in the future, but it doesn't change anything of what I said before about George, about Kimi, about the lineup that I'm extremely happy of having." Mercedes has yet to confirm either Russell or rookie Kimi Antonelli for 2026 despite both having strong seasons so far. Verstappen has a long-term contract through 2028, so in theory his Red Bull seat should be one of the safest on the grid. However, the deal has performance-related clauses which could reportedly allow a move. "I don't think we need to talk about that," Verstappen said Thursday when asked to confirm whether he'll stay with the team for 2026. "It's not really in my mind. It's just driving and trying to push the performance, you know. And then we focus on next year." Fast in Friday practice Verstappen showed consistent pace in both Friday practice sessions as Red Bull tried out new upgrades but wasn't fastest in either. Lando Norris missed the first session but went fastest in the second by .157 of a second from his teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri. The Australian leads Norris by 22 points after their collision at the last race in Canada. Verstappen was third fastest. In the first session, Verstappen was second fastest, .065 off Russell. Piastri was third but the star of the session was young driver Alex Dunne, who took over Norris' McLaren for the session and placed fourth. It was another mixed day for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc's fifth place in the second session its best result. His teammate Hamilton was ninth and 10th. Red Bull's challenge to adapt Dramatic changes to how F1 cars look and perform are coming in 2026, and Red Bull has to adapt more than most. For the first time in nearly two decades, it heads into a new era of F1 rules without design guru Adrian Newey, who left last year and is now at Aston Martin. The other leading teams are sticking with their current engine arrangements, but not Red Bull. The team has an in-house engine developer, Red Bull Powertrains, but it's switching partners for 2026 from Honda to newcomer Ford. The second seat No team in F1 depends as much on one driver as Red Bull does on Verstappen. He's scored 155 of the team's 162 points this season. His teammates — first Liam Lawson, then Tsunoda — have struggled all season. That's helped to restore the reputation of Sergio Perez, who was dropped by Red Bull after scoring barely one-third of Verstappen's points last season. Tsunoda was 17th in Friday's first session and seventh in the second. "I know, deep down, they really regret it," Perez said on a podcast this week. "And I know that from a very reliable source. It's tough. I have very good friends there, and people might think I take pleasure in what happened, but no." Red Bull's car seems to favor Verstappen's driving style over anyone else's, but the Dutchman says he doesn't know what makes it different. "The thing is that I don't know any better, right?" he said Thursday. "I only know one car and that's how I drive."