Toto Wolff claims Max Verstappen has unusual 2026 advantage

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has suggested that four-time champion Max Verstappen could have an advantage over his competitors in next season's championship.

Verstappen lost out on the drivers' championship this year by two pointsto Lando Norris, ending a run of four consecutive championships for the Dutchman.

The 28-year-old did achieve plenty of racing success in 2025, winning seven grands prix across the season, as well as participating in GT3 and enjoying sim racing events from the comfort of his own home.

In 2026, new regulations will sweep into the sport both on the chassis side and with regard to power units, with a greater emphasis on electrical energy being implemented.

It could be good news for Verstappen and Red Bull, not least because the changes could see a major shake up of the competitive order, with Red Bull having finished third in the constructors' championship in each of the past two seasons.

But Wolff has now revealed that Verstappen and the drivers who have had a greater use of sim racing could have an added advantage next season, including his own drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

"We will be having 50 per cent electric and 50 per cent combustion," Wolff told the Beyond the Grid podcast.

"We will be needing to compensate for a lack of electric power on every single lap, particularly on the ones with long straights.

"And I think what we're seeing now, the strategies almost add a little chess component. Where is the driver going to deploy his energy? Who is better prepared? And I think the generation sim driver will be in a good spot here."

Asked if the new regulations will suit younger drivers as a result, Wolff said: "Well, the question is, what is younger drivers? You look at George [Russell] and his generation, Max, they work on the simulator, and they enjoy that.

"It's their generation. So yes, I think whoever loves to be in the virtual world, be it on a rig at home or in a simulator in the factory, is going to have an advantage."

Will Verstappen join Mercedes after 2026?

Wolff and Verstappen are understood to have a close relationship, and Verstappen has been linked with a move to join Mercedes in each of the last two seasons.

While Verstappen has confirmed that he will stay with Red Bull in 2026, it's largely expected that he will look to see which team has mastered the regulation changes before making any decisions on his future.

If Red Bull are the dominant team in 2026, Verstappen will have no reason to leave, with the Dutchman contracted to the team until 2028.

But if, as rumoured, Mercedes are the team to get a jump on the rest of their competitors in 2026, Verstappen may well opt to join Wolff's team for the 2027 season in order to chase after more drivers' championships.

As it stands, both Russell and Antonelli are only contracted until the end of the 2026 season, although Russell has hinted that his new contract has an option for more years after that.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull as part of exodus

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