Max Verstappen to Mercedes approved by Toto Wolff's boss as Red Bull made to sweat

Ola Kallenius, Toto Wolff's superior at Mercedes, has reportedly given the green light for the team to make a play for Red Bull driver Max Verstappen for 2026. Despite being tied to Red Bull until the close of the 2028 season, whispers of Verstappen's potential switch to Mercedes have been growing louder in recent weeks.

Christian Horner, who has since stepped down as Red Bull's team principal, spilled to reporters last year that Verstappen's contract includes a "performance element" which might permit an early exit - a prospect that could become reality given the team's current woes. Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport has reported that Kallenius has now green-lighted Verstappen's move, setting Wolff free to chase after the Red Bull star, who has shown signs of frustration due to his current team's stark dip in performance this season.

It's believed that Verstappen can activate a get-out clause should he find himself below fourth in the drivers' standings following the Hungarian Grand Prix in early August, just before F1's summer hiatus.

At present, the Dutch driver is third in the rankings, holding an 18-point cushion over George Russell in fourth, who might find his position under threat if Verstappen were to join the Silver Arrows. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc trails behind, sitting 28 points adrift in fifth place.

Russell, fresh from his victory in Canada, is eyeing a new contract with Mercedes as his current one expires next year. He acknowledges the ongoing discussions with Verstappen but remains confident in his performance.

He told Sky Sports: "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 One team."

This situation could potentially sideline rising talent Kimi Antonelli, who despite securing a multi-year agreement with Mercedes starting this year, might find himself edged out. Team principal Wolff has emphasised transparency within the team during their pursuit of Verstappen.

Wolff explained their approach: "What we are trying to do in the team is be transparent. 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."