Formula 1: Connection lost: Mercedes team brakes

Heavily annoyed by the renewed misery of his Mercedes team asked Toto Wolff for the crisis meeting. Before Formula 1 said goodbye to the short summer vacation with the guest performance in Hungary on Sunday (3:00 p.m./Sky), the team boss asked for explanations for the recent break-in at the former series world champion. “Our services in the past races have not met our standards,” said Austrian Wolff.

In addition to the engineers, the 53-year-old also appointed the two drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to the report. Since Russell triumphed in Canada in mid -June and his Italian stable companion drove to third place behind him, not much has been going together at the German carmaker’s worksteam. In the design classification, McLaren, equipped with Mercedes engines, is a whopping 296 points ahead after 13 World Cup runs.

Chief pilot Russell has since lost visibility to the overall leading Oscar Piatri as a fourth World Cup, and after an encouraging debut, newcomer Antonelli recently remained completely pointless. After his early end in the qualification for the Belgium race in the previous week, the 18-year-old came to tears.

Ferrari superstar Lewis Hamilton, whose Mercedes-Cockpit Antonelli had inherited before this season, donated the young star to the MotorHome consolation. “I was frustrated about my achievements, I showed that. Now I feel better,” said Antonelli in Budapest.

Future worries through Verstappen-Speculations

When he and Russell talk about the past few months on Hungaroring, it’s a lot about trust. The belief in your silver arrows has been lost gradually. “At the beginning of the year I had more trusted, the rounds came very easily. Now it is a much bigger challenge,” said Russell. The old rear axle is therefore used again in Hungary, the experiment with a new bike suspension is finally ended.

The top of the team has also lost some trust among the drivers. For months, speculation about a commitment from world champion Max Verstappen, team boss Wolff made no secret of the interest in the Red Bull star. Russell and Antonelli, whose contracts expire at the end of the season, felt the pressure. “For Kimi and me, the last few months have not been the most calming for our future, that was a bit contradictory,” said Russell.

What’s next in the contract poker?

Because both pilots do not have their own management, but are represented by Mercedes, the duo felt a certain fainting in the big poker for the cockpits for 2026. “These last six months were a very unique situation in which I could not influence because of our agreement and the interests may not agree for a while,” said Russell.

Because Verstappen, shortly after his arrival in Budapest, also had the last doubts about remaining at Red Bull, the Mercedes duo will soon sign new contracts. But the question is for what term. “I have to think about what is in the interest of both sides,” said Russell.

A long -term contract is particularly interesting for him if Mercedes can drive for the title again after the big rule break from next year. But then the flirt could also flare up with Verstappen. Red Bull is facing an uncertain future by saying goodbye to engine partner Honda and the youngest quarrels for the expulsion of long-term team boss Christian Horner. If it does not run in 2026, could have enough.

In this scenario, Mercedes would certainly like to have a cockpit for 2027 for the Dutch. And so the Verstappen personnel continue to hide the negotiations between Toto Wolff and his pilots.