Russell suggests: Mercedes still dreams of Verstappen for F1

George Russell Reveals Details about Contract Negotiations with Mercedes

British driver George Russell has hinted that talks for the renewal of his contract with Mercedes have been delayed. The main reason could be the team’s persistent interest in signing the current Formula 1 champion, Max Verstappen. Russell, who achieved victory at the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks ago, sees his contract expire at the end of the season. Verstappen, for his part, has an agreement with Red Bull in effect until 2028, subject to possible exit clauses.

If you want to get back to the top, you need to make sure you have the best drivers, the best engineers, and the best pit crew, and that’s what Mercedes is looking for.

George Russell

During the Austrian Grand Prix, Russell told Sky Sports that Mercedes, constructors’ champions for eight consecutive times between 2014 and 2021, and currently second behind McLaren, is focused on regaining its leading position.

The driver also added that it’s natural to have conversations with drivers like Verstappen. However, from his perspective, and given his current performance, he has no reason to worry, as each Formula 1 team has two available seats. Toto Wolff, Mercedes boss, interest in Verstappen became evident last year, when he was looking for a replacement for seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. Finally, the young Italian driver Kimi Antonelli, 18 years old, received an opportunity and has set several age records, which has earned him great support from fans. In the last twelve months, Verstappen and Russell have had several confrontations on and off the track, which could raise concerns at Mercedes about the possibility of putting them together in the same team. Russell also told reporters that Toto Wolff has assured him that his performance is comparable to that of any other driver on the grid.

I think there is only one driver whose performance can be debated, those are his words, not mine, so I have no concerns about the future. But there are two seats in each team and I guess he needs to think, who will be those two drivers for those two seats?, and I guess that’s where the delay lies.

George Russell

In the FIA press conference, Verstappen was reluctant to talk about his future when asked if he would race for Red Bull next year. “Do you want me to repeat what I said last year?… It’s really not on my mind. I’m just driving well, trying to improve performance and then we’ll focus on next year,” Verstappen concluded.