George Russell Hints That Mercedes Is Talking To Max Verstappen Driving For Them
A Verstappen move would send shockwaves through Formula 1
The Austrian Grand Prix is Red Bull's home race, but a lot of the buzz in the early part of the weekend has been about Mercedes and what seems to be their continued efforts to poach four-time world champ Max Verstappen.
There have been rumors for quite some time that Mercedes has wanted to bring Verstappen aboard, and those have heated up over the last year or so amid changes within the team — namely former technical director Adrian Newey moving to Aston Martin and former sporting director Johnathan Wheatley taking over as team principal of Sauber — and as the team's car continues to be nothing short of a handful.
Current Mercedes driver George Russell is coming off a win at the previous race, the Canadian Grand Prix, but is without a contract for next season. He talked to Sky Sports in Austria about his contract situation and indicated that the team is having talks with other drivers, including Verstappen.
"As Mercedes, they want to be back on top, and if you're going to be back on top you need to make sure you've got the best drivers, the best engineers, the best pit crew, and that's what Mercedes are chasing," he said. "So, it's only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing. But from my side, if I'm performing as I'm doing, what have I got to be concerned about? There are two seats in every Formula 1 team."
There are, but for now that other Mercedes seat is occupied by rookie Kimi Antonelli, who earned his first podium in Canada.
If Verstappen does decide to move to Mercedes — despite being under contract with Red Bull, but the team's advisor Helmut Marko has previously noted that there is a team performance clause in Verstappen's contract — that would be a massive shake up, especially as new technical and engine regulations in 2026 could also mixup the running order.
If Russell finds himself out of a drive, he will become a top option for any team that needs a driver, including Cadillac, who have yet to announce their lineup for their maiden season.