Toto Wolff is keeping his young protégé Andrea 'Kimi' Antonelli in suspense as he leaves a potential race seat open for Max Verstappen.
The Mercedes chief expressed skepticism about Verstappen's "yes" in Austria last week when the three-time world champion was asked if he was committed to Red Bull for 2025 and beyond.
"He couldn't say anything else, could he?" Wolff remarked to motorsport-total.com this week.
"They had to force that answer out of him."
However, he acknowledged that Verstappen's seemingly non-committal response doesn't necessarily mean he will be driving a Mercedes in 2025.
When asked if he would 'put his hand in the fire' to predict Verstappen's stay at Red Bull beyond this season, Wolff grinned: "I would put my hand in the fire that Max will be in Formula 1 next year."
But this doesn't imply that Wolff expects to be preparing a set of silver overalls for Verstappen over the winter.
"No. There is no reason for him to do that," Wolff conceded. "Why would he?" he added, admitting that Mercedes does not yet have a car fast enough to attract the 26-year-old Dutch driver.
"But 2026 is the year in which many things will change. I think it could be attractive to drive for us then," Wolff said. "But whether Max will do that and whether he can get out of his contract, I don't know."
Wolff is in a comfortable position with 17-year-old Antonelli as the ideal 'plan A' for 2025, yet he enjoys the luxury of delaying the confirmation of the deal as long as possible.
"I would have liked to have chosen Carlos Sainz," Wolff admitted, "because he is very underrated and he works hard.
"But I don't think he can wait as long as we need, because we might not make a decision until November."
