George Russell of Mercedes and the reigning champion Max Verstappen are the same age. But the Red Bull driver has experienced a whole lot of success already that Russell could possibly dream of. So far, the British driver has won a couple of races in his career. On the other hand, the Dutch driver has won the third most number of races in F1 history. The only two racers who have won more F1 GPs than the current triple-time champion are Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. But the reigning three-time champion can eventually surpass both Schumacher and Hamilton on the all time list if he gets to drive the fastest car every season.
In 2023, Red Bull had the most superior car in F1 history, RB19, with which they managed to win 21 of 22 GPs. Verstappen alone won 19 races last year. Even in this ongoing season, the Dutch racer started in a dominating fashion. He won seven of the first ten Grands Prix. Then, rival teams started catching up to RBR’s pace and closed the gap significantly. Since the Austrian team doesn’t have the fastest car anymore, Max might leave them soon. Perhaps Mercedes might be the next suitor for the Dutch racer.
Will Max Verstappen Replace George Russell At Mercedes Soon?
Since the shocking announcement that Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes next year, Toto Wolff has been allegedly pursuing Max Verstappen to replace the seven-time champion. But lately, reports have come in that the Silver Arrows have shown faith in their 18-year-old Academy graduate Andrea Kimi Antonelli to replace Hamilton in 2025. Moreover, the seven-time champion will bid an emotional farewell to the German team as he will join the Prancing Horse next year. On the other hand, Mercedes seems to invest in their future driver’s lineup – George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. They will definitely have this lineup in 2025. But what about 2026, when F1 will introduce regulation changes? Recently, on Sky Sports, the F1 pundit Nico Rosberg claimed that Russell’s seat is not safe at all. Rosberg knows Wolff all too well, as he won the 2016 Driver’s World Championship with the Brackley team.
The former German driver added that Toto Wolff still wants Max Verstappen for 2026, and he won’t give up until he signs the Dutchman. Moreover, Rosberg said, “Give Up is not a phrase that appears in Wolff’s vocabulary.” Adding to that, the F1 pundit said there is a good possibility that Verstappen will be available in the driver’s market ahead of the 2026 season. Hence, Rosberg said that it will be a shootout between George Russell and his 2025 teammate. Moreover, the pressure will be more on Russell because Rosberg thinks he will have everything to lose next season. Internally, George should be ahead, believes Nico, because Kimi is only 18 and in a full-pressure situation. Hence, the situation isn’t easy for Russell, feels the 2016 champion. But George Russell is not thinking about that situation at all because he believes he is part of Mercedes for the “Indefinite future.”
Why Hamilton’s 2024 Teammate Not Worried About 2026?
Recently, George Russell told the media, including PlanetF1.com, that they have not spoken about what the 2026 driver’s lineup looks like at all. He said that he has been part of Mercedes for a very long time and they manage him. Russell reveals that the team believes in continuing the collaboration for the “Indefinite Future.” Moreover, he added that there can be a lot of conversations going on which are entertaining to read and all.
However, these things don’t bother him as he is only focusing on his driving and nothing else. Lately, Toto Wolff gave a good news for Russell, saying that they have stopped talking to the Verstappen camp. Moreover, Mercedes is ready to challenge the rivals next season with the Russell-Antonelli pairing.
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