The Formula 1 world was shaken during the Grand Prix of Austria by a controversial accusation against Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. A well-known Formula 1 analyst, whose name was not made public, suggested that Wolff would have dedicated his young driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli to deliberately drive Max Verstappen from behind in the opening round of the race on the Red Bull Ring. The alleged goal? Activating a hidden clause in Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull Racing, which may give him the freedom to leave the team. This accusation has a lot of heating in the Paddock, and Red Bull team boss Christian Horner responded with six powerful words: “This is a scandalous and unfounded claim.”
The Grand Prix of Austria already started with a dramatic nut for Verstappen. The reigning world champion, who started from seventh position after a disappointing qualification, immediately got the stick with the 18-year-old Mercedes-smokie Kimi Antonelli. In the third corner, Antonelli lost control of his car and hit Verstappens Red Bull, which resulted in a DNF (DID not finish) for the Dutchman. This incident ensured that Verstappen lost valuable points in the championship, while McLaren driver Lando Norris won the race and continued his lead in the rankings. Antonelli immediately apologized, which were accepted by Verstappen. “It can happen,” said Verstappen mildly afterwards. “Kimi is a rookie, and mistakes are part of it.”
The speculations around Verstappen’s future at Red Bull have been a hot topic in Formula 1 for months. His contract officially runs until mid -2028, but rumors about escape clauses continue to arise. According to recent reports, one of these clauses would be linked to Verstappen’s position in the world championship. Journalist Julianne Cerasoli reported that Verstappen might be free to leave Red Bull if he is not in the top two of the rankings halfway through the season. Due to his failure in Austria, that top-two position is now out of reach, which means that the speculations about a possible switch to Mercedes, for example, only increase.
However, the accusation that Wolff Antonelli would have encouraged to deliberately drive Verstappen out of the race has added a new dimension to this Saga. The analyst in question claims that Wolff, who would have been talking to Verstappen about a possible transfer in 2026, used this tactic for some time to give the Dutchman an additional reason to leave Red Bull. Wolff itself has categorically denied the allegations. “This is pure nonsense,” he said in an interview with Sky Sports. “Our team focuses on performance on the job, not on this kind of absurd conspiracy theories. Kimi is a young driver who learns, and this was an unfortunate mistake, nothing more.” Wolff also emphasized that he is satisfied with his current drivers duo, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, but he did not exclude the fact that there are conversations with Verstappen behind closed doors. “As a team boss you always have to look to the future,” he added.
Christian Horner, the team boss of Red Bull, was visibly shocked by the accusations. In addition to his six striking words, he expressed his frustration about the constant speculations around Verstappen’s future. “Mercedes has plenty of problems of himself,” Horner said, referring to the disappointing performance of the team in Austria, where George Russell finished 62 seconds behind the winner. “They should focus on their own car instead of spreading this kind of nonsense.” Horner emphasized that the incident between Verstappen and Antonelli was a racing incident, caused by an error by the young Italian, and not a setup.
The Formula 1 community remains divided over the issue. Some fans and analysts point to the intense rivalry between Mercedes and Red Bull, who has been dominating the sport for years, as a breeding ground for such speculations. Others see the accusation as an unfounded attempt to discredit Mercedes. In the meantime, Verstappen himself remains calm under the situation. “I focus on my races and leave the rumors for what they are,” he said after the race.
With the next Grand Prix in Silverstone, the attention will undoubtedly continue to go to the dynamics between Verstappen, Red Bull and Mercedes. The question is whether this controversial accusation will influence the negotiations behind the scenes. For now the peace seems to have returned, but in Formula 1 nothing is ever what it seems. The future of Verstappen, and the role of Wolff and Antonelli in it, will undoubtedly be discussed a lot.
