Toto Wolff Aims to Announce Mercedes 2026 Driver Lineup Before August

Mercedes Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff emphasizes his desire to finalize the team’s driver lineup for the 2026 season before the summer break begins.

The contract situation of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli remains unsettled for next season, opening the possibility for Mercedes to seek alternatives ahead of new regulations implementation. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen remains Wolff’s target — though he acknowledges the chance of signing the Red Bull driver is “very little”.

Following the race in Austria — where Russell finished fifth and Antonelli crashed with Verstappen on the opening lap — Wolff stated he wants to resolve this matter between the Hungarian GP and Dutch GP.

“You need to be respectable towards all stakeholders in this process — the organization, the drivers, everyone. You need to understand the way forward,” Wolff said regarding the driver decision.

Wolff added that he doesn’t want to keep drivers waiting unnecessarily and promised everything will be concluded by the summer break.