Wolff warned 'it would be crazy' to sign Verstappen after Antonelli's rapid rise

Verstappen, much like he was a year ago, is once again facing an important decision over his short-term future. The Dutchman has repeatedly hinted at a possible Formula 1 exit in recent months, despite remaining under contract with Red Bull through to the end of 2028. Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Schumacher suggested Verstappen may be running out of realistic options if he decides to leave Red Bull. The former Formula 1 driver pointed to Antonelli's emergence as a genuine title contender, arguing that his performances are making Mercedes think carefully about its future driver line-up.

According to Schumacher, if Antonelli continues on his current trajectory and establishes himself as a championship-calibre driver, Wolff would have little reason to bring in another dominant figure capable of disrupting the balance within the team. He suggested that the ideal scenario for Mercedes would be to build around Antonelli, while having Russell alongside him in a supporting role, a position he believes the Briton is increasingly drifting towards as the season progresses.

Marco Antonelli has praised his son's impressive start to life in Formula 1, while insisting that any comparisons with Verstappen remain premature. Although he acknowledged that both drivers share exceptional speed, he stressed that the Dutchman has already established himself as one of the sport's greats, whereas Antonelli is only at the beginning of his journey.

While hopeful that Kimi can eventually reach similar heights, Antonelli's father believes the Mercedes youngster still has significant ground to cover before being mentioned in the same breath as the four-time world champion. For now, he sees Verstappen as a benchmark and a source of inspiration for the Italian rookie rather than a direct point of comparison. He also revealed that the relationship between the two drivers is particularly strong, with Verstappen and Antonelli regularly keeping in touch and frequently speaking during race weekends.

Despite Antonelli's rapid rise and growing reputation within the paddock, Marco made it clear that Verstappen remains the standard against which every driver is measured, describing the Red Bull driver as operating on a level currently unmatched by anyone else on the grid.