Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has given an update on whether he will attempt to sign Red Bull's Max Verstappen for the 2027 season.
Verstappen was heavily linked with Mercedes midway through the 2025 season.
It was claimed that a clause in his contract stipulated that he could leave Red Bull depending on his position in the Drivers' Championship standings.
The Dutchman could have walked out of the team if he was in fourth place or lower after the Hungarian Grand Prix, but the prospect of that clause being activated was avoided.
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Verstappen then bounced back in the second half of the season to mount a title challenge, eventually finishing just two points behind champion Lando Norris.
Meanwhile, Mercedes confirmed George Russell and Kimi Antonelli as its drivers for 2026, with both drivers signing multi-year contracts.
But any prospect of Verstappen arriving at the Silver Arrows next season appears to have been all but quashed by Wolff after Mercedes' strong start to the season.
The team have won both of the opening Grands Prix in 2026, with Russell winning in Australia before Antonelli took the chequered flag in China.
"The astonishing thing is that these silly rumours are already surfacing in March," Wolff told Austrian outlet OE24.
"It's silly enough that you normally have to discuss these things in July; I don't know who brought this up again.
"We have two drivers with whom we have long-term, multi-year contracts. I could not be happier with either of them. Both are delivering top performances.
"So there is absolutely no reason to even consider a line-up change, or other drivers. I say this with utmost respect for Max [Verstappen]."
Why is there speculation over Russell and Verstappen?
What appears to have prompted the latest speculation over Russell's future is the difference between the deals that both Mercedes drivers signed last year.
Sky Sports report that Russell only has a guaranteed contract until 2027 while Antonelli is committed until 2029.
Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, claimed on the 'Stay On Track' podcast last week that Russell was 'always temporary' at Mercedes, while his co-host Johnny Herbert speculated that Verstappen may not be entirely happy at Red Bull.
Verstappen, a four-time F1 world champion, has been highly critical of F1's new regulations, comparing driving the 2026 cars to Mario Kart.
If the contract clause relating to the Drivers' Championship is active again in 2026, it appears increasingly doubtful that he will be in the top four of the standings by Hungary.
Mercedes have recorded two 1-2 finishes in the opening rounds, with Ferrari in 3-4. Lewis Hamilton finished ahead of Charles Leclerc in China.
Verstappen, meanwhile, was only sixth in Australia after a brake failure eliminated him in Q1, before retiring in China with an engine coolant issue.
Red Bull are clearly a considerable step behind Mercedes and Ferrari on pure performance, while the specifics of certain tracks appear to put them behind McLaren as well.
Topics: George Russell, Mercedes, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Formula 1
Ryan Smart