New regulations kick in in 2026 and Mercedes are reportedly one of the better-positioned teams to lead from the front of the grid. This development appears to have piqued Verstappen’s interest, but it has left Mercedes with a decision to make.
Russell is now a title contender in his own right and the team have invested a lot of time and resources in getting him to this stage in his career. Abandoning him for Verstappen does come with some risk, despite landing a driver with the Dutchman’s capabilities.
While Kimi Antonelli is seen as Mercedes’ future and the Brackley-based team have always been long-term driven.
Russell is in prolonged contract negotiations, with his deal up at the end of the campaign, but Williams driver Alex Albon hopes that the delay is down to Russell asking for a bigger pay packet.
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When asked for his opinion on Russell, Albon told BBC 5 Live: “George is… somehow underrated. I am not just defending a friend here.
“I hope the delay (in a contract being announced) is him asking for a lot of money and that’s where the delay is coming from. And if he is, he deserves it.
“Otherwise… yeah I think George is actually one of the most adaptable drivers on the grid and wherever it ends up being, I think he should be considered as at the very least a top three driver on the grid.”
Despite Russell’s open admission that Mercedes are talking to Verstappen about a potential seat, he is confident that he will pen a new deal and remain with his current team in the long term.
“Of course there’s lots of conversations, lots of rumours and all of these are being pointed towards me, but from my side feel that isn’t really going to be the case,” he said on Thursday. “I want to continue with Mercedes into the future.
“The fact is Toto [Wolff] has never let me down – he’s always given me his word but he’s also got to do what’s right for his team, which includes me but it also includes thousands of people who work for Mercedes.
“For me it’s nothing to worry about because I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere, and whoever my team mate will be, it doesn’t concern me either. I’m just focused on the driving.”