George Russell cannot afford to have Max Verstappen join Mercedes
George Russell might be the biggest loser if Max Verstappen decides to ditch Red Bull for Mercedes next season.
Follow Us
George Russell and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)
George Russell is a Mercedes prodigy. The British driver made his F1 debut in 2019 with Williams courtesy of the team’s close ties to the Silver Arrows. Russell stayed at the Grove-based squad for three years before finally replacing Valtteri Bottas at Brackley. Now, the 26-year-old is set to become the team leader after Lewis Hamilton departs to Ferrari next season.
However, there is one catch. Mercedes is yet to finalize Hamilton’s replacement for 2025. Rumors suggest that 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli is likely to partner George Russell at the Silver Arrows. Yet, it seems that Toto Wolff is still trying to potentially sign Max Verstappen.
George Russell has claimed that he is not afraid of Verstappen joining Mercedes next season. However, many do believe that Russell cannot afford to have the three-time world champion partner him at the Silver Arrows.
George Russell cannot be overshadowed by another F1 champion
Ever since Russell joined Mercedes, he has been in the shadow of Lewis Hamilton. The 26-year-old has managed to outperform the seven-time world champion on more than one occasion. However, it was clear that George Russell will not be the main driver until Hamilton retires or moves elsewhere. Now, the two-time race winner has the perfect opportunity.
On the other hand, if Max Verstappen does indeed come to Mercedes, it puts Russell on the backfoot yet again. The three-time world champion will try to build the team around him as the de-facto leader. This could be detrimental to George Russell’s ambitions as he could end up struggling to beat Verstappen in this game of politics.
Mercedes seems to be lacking faith in the British driver as Wolff seemingly wants to have Max Verstappen. Perhaps the Silver Arrows are unsure whether Russell can fight for titles by himself. As such, George Russell risks being treated as a number 2 driver if the reigning world champion joins the Brackley-based team.
One must note that its unlikely that Max Verstappen would join Mercedes next season. The Dutch driver is rumored to be in talks with the Silver Arrows. However, Red Bull seems to be his best bet for the time being. Certainly, George Russell would hope to see the Dutch driver stay at Milton Keynes at least for the foreseeable future.
In case you missed it:
- Lewis Hamilton to push himself to the limit during his final season with Mercedes
- Can Carlos Sainz win in F1 after moving to Williams?
Stay Updated!
Armaan Agarwal
(2310 Articles Published)