Spielberg, Austria (AFP) — Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff on Saturday ended speculation linking his team to Max Verstappen, as a possible replacement for George Russell, by declaring his line-up will be unchanged next year.

The Austrian team chief spoke after seeing Russell bounce back to outpace team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli in final practice ahead of qualifying for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Four-time champion Verstappen has been the subject of much speculation all season since declaring he could leave Formula One if he was not enjoying it anymore after the introduction this year of the new “hybrid era.”

“We don’t want to change things and we’ve said that also to George. I think it’s a line-up that is good for us. I’m very happy with the two of them,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1.

He added that pre-season title favorite Russell had handled a tense situation with impressive composure. “He’s been coping well,” he said.

“He doesn’t need to prove to anyone that he has the speed. We know he has the speed and the ability.”

Verstappen has said that if he stays in F1, if he is enjoying it, he wants to complete his career with Red Bull — and his manager Raymond Vermeulen endorsed that view on Saturday when he said reports linking him to McLaren were baseless.

“These rumors are based on absolutely nothing. There have been no negotiations… We certainly want to stay with Red Bull, but with a car that makes winning possible,” he told Bild.