Verstappen's Mercedes move dismissed amid McLaren rumours: 'Toto is too smart'

The week now drawing to a close has been dominated by speculation linking Verstappen with McLaren, with the four-time world champion's future remaining uncertain despite Zak Brown's repeated insistence that he wants to continue with the Lando Norris-Oscar Piastri line-up for the years ahead.

GPblog understands that discussions have taken place between Verstappen's camp and McLaren, with contact initiated at the request of the Dutch driver's representatives. Those talks are understood to have involved CEO Zak Brown, both in direct conversations with Verstappen and in separate discussions with the four-time world champion's management.

Before the four-time world champion began to be increasingly linked with a potential move to McLaren as Lando Norris' future teammate, speculation surrounding Mercedes had dominated headlines for months, particularly last year, before Verstappen himself confirmed he would remain at Red Bull for this season.

Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, Steiner questioned the likelihood of Verstappen joining Mercedes, arguing that the move would only make sense if George Russell leaves the team. The former Haas team principal pointed out that the Brackley-based outfit already have what he considers their next superstar in Kimi Antonelli, alongside an established driver in Russell, making it difficult to justify such a signing.

He also suggested the Dutchman would command a significantly higher salary and warned that his arrival could potentially disrupt the Italian's development, adding that he believes Toto Wolff is 'too smart' to make that move under those circumstances.

The former F1 driver has dismissed speculation suggesting Piastri is looking to leave McLaren, insisting the Australian remains fully committed to the team despite continued rumours over Max Verstappen's future.

Speaking to RACER, Webber rejected claims that Piastri is attempting to engineer an exit from McLaren, describing such reports as unfounded. He pointed out that the Australian is contracted to the Woking-based outfit for the foreseeable future and stressed that there has been a significant amount of inaccurate speculation linking him with other teams. He also reiterated that McLaren have consistently made clear they see Piastri as part of their long-term plans, with the Australian remaining focused on that commitment.

Webber's comments come after McLaren CEO Zak Brown addressed the team's driver line-up during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. Brown reiterated that both Piastri and Lando Norris are happy at McLaren, adding that the team is equally satisfied with its current pairing. While making it clear there is no expectation of either driver leaving, Brown stopped short of completely ruling out a future move for Verstappen, acknowledging that the four-time world champion would inevitably be considered if an unexpected vacancy were ever to arise.