Mercedes chief Toto Wolff admitted he will look to learn from the “mistake” of trying to sign Max Verstappen after talks with the driver were “destabilising” for the team.

For the second consecutive season, Verstappen attracted interest from Mercedes after the four-time world champion’s future at Red Bull seemed uncertain.

Ahead of the mid-season break, George Russell confirmed that Mercedes were attempting to sign Verstappen, which was slowing down his own contract negotiations.

Verstappen confirmed in late July that he would continue with Red Bull for the 2026 campaign, while Mercedes revealed just last week that Russell and Kimi Antonelli will continue as their drivers for next season.

Epic atmosphere. Passionate fans. A challenging circuit in high altitude. Always a weekend to remember 

Previewing the Mexico City GP with George, Kimi and @PET_Motorsports  pic.twitter.com/vxDsJCka4W

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) October 22, 2025

Although regretting the way things unfolded during the negotiations, Wolff believes he will learn from the situation after already moving on.

“The truth is that you've got to learn from the mistake,” Wolff told Sky Sports. “There wasn't any on purpose flirting, it's just a coincidence.

“It was clear that you need to have that conversation and then we ended up in the same place in the summer, which obviously doesn't look good and is destabilising for everyone.

“But that's the past now. Everything is cleared, contracts are signed, and we move forward.

“Kimi and George is what we want to do in the future and going forward, and it's a good line-up.”