Mercedes have been heavily linked with a move for Max Verstappen, who could find a way out of his Red Bull contract, with Toto Wolff’s superior green lighting the move

Max Verstappen is heavily linked with a Mercedes switch(Image: Kym Illman/Getty Images)

Ola Kallenius, the Mercedes chief executive and Toto Wolff’s boss, has reportedly approved the team’s move for Red Bull driver Max Verstappen from 2026.

Despite being officially under contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, Verstappen has been heavily linked with a move to Mercedes during recent weeks.

Christian Horner, the now-former Red Bull team principal, confirmed to the media last year that Verstappen’s deal did contain a “performance element” that could allow him to leave the team prematurely – and their struggles this season could see that become a reality.

Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport has claimed that Kallenius has now given his sign off to the arrival of Verstappen, which frees Wolff up to go and pursue the Red Bull driver, who has cut a frustrated figure given the team’s massive drop off in form this year.

It is understood that Verstappen will be free to trigger an exit clause if he is lower than fourth in the Drivers’ standings after the Hungarian Grand Prix at the start of August, which is the last race before F1’s summer break.

Currently the Dutchman sits third in the championship with an 18 point lead over fourth place man George Russell, who could yet lose out if Verstappen did join the Silver Arrows. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc sits a further 28 points back in fifth.

Russell, who won in Canada last month, is looking to land himself a new deal with Mercedes as his contract runs out next year. He is aware that talks with Verstappen are taking place, but believes he is performing well enough to merit his spot. “It’s only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing,” he told Sky Sports.

Silver Arrows CEO Ola Kaellenius is keen to have the Dutchman join the team

“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 means young star Andrea Kimi Antonelli could be the man to lose out despite signing a multi-year deal with the team which began this year. Wolff insists they are trying to keep their drivers in the loop amid their chase of Verstappen.

“What we are trying to do in the team is be transparent,” he said. “You can choose to hold things under wraps, or do what we’ve done in the last 20 years I’ve been here is putting it out there and saying this is the situation. These drivers are clever people and they talk to each other.

“I’m saying it how it is and there’s no such thing as saying we are going to sign Max, because it’s so far away that it’s not realistic at that stage. So with George, we talk about everything.”