Racing icon gives alarming Max Verstappen prediction for George Russell at Mercedes

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya insisted that George Russell will have no say on Max Verstappen's rumored Mercedes arrival.

Racing icon gives alarming Max Verstappen prediction for George Russell at Mercedes

George Russell and Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)

Max Verstappen is the biggest name in the F1 driver market. The four-time world champion remains under contract with Red Bull Racing till the end of 2028. However, an exit clause could allow the Dutch driver to depart Milton Keynes as early as next season. This has raised speculation over his future. Now, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has warned George Russell over potentially facing the axe for Verstappen.

Presently, Aston Martin and Mercedes are the frontrunners when it comes to Max Verstappen‘s rumored future in Formula 1. Though, the rumor mill has become increasingly focused on the latter in recent weeks. Despite the Silver Arrows trying to reassure fans over its current line-up.

Moreover, reports have emerged that Red Bull is already in talks with George Russell for 2026. Albeit, it’s unclear whether the Briton would be racing alongside Verstappen or would he be a like-for-like replacement for the Dutchman.

Juan Pablo Montoya reckoned that if Max Verstappen does decide to join Mercedes, Russell would be up for a difficult conversation with Toto Wolff. The Columbian claimed that the Mercedes boss would likely be ready to continue with Russell if the Briton was willing to take up the challenge of going head-to-head with Max Verstappen. However, if George Russell wasn’t ready to fight alongside Verstappen, The Briton would have no choice but to leave the Silver Arrows.

I think what would happen would be that Toto would sit Russell down and say, ‘I want you to be with me, but we’re going to sign Max. If you’re comfortable racing with Max and working together with Max, the seat is yours. If you’re not comfortable, the door is open.

Juan Pablo Montoya told AS

Juan Pablo Montoya urges Mercedes to sign Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen is undoubtedly performing at the peak of his career at the moment. Since the start of the ground-effect era in 2022, the Dutch driver has been in a league of his own compared to the rest of the grid. Verstappen has been the main difference when it comes to fighting at the front. The 27-year-old managed to ignore Red Bull’s issues last year to defend his title.

Max Verstappen and George Russell (via Red Bull Content Pool)
Max Verstappen and George Russell (via Red Bull Content Pool)

Montoya made it clear that Toto Wolff will not miss the opportunity of signing Max Verstappen if he does get the chance. Not only will Mercedes get their hands on the Dutch driver, but will also manage to destabilize Red Bull Racing completely. The Columbian pointed out that Milton Keynes has fully relied on Verstappen over the years and no other driver in their pool has managed to be even close to the F1 star.

But I really think if they have a real opportunity to sign Max, they’ll do it. On the one hand to have Max, on the other hand, for the chance to destabilise because if you take Max away from Red Bull, who do they have? Three drivers who don’t finish and don’t score points.

Juan Pablo Montoya explained

Certainly, Max Verstappen has become the most influential figure in the paddock. Any team would like to have the services of the reigning world champion. However, the Dutchman’s exit would be troublesome for Red Bull as the 27-year-old has outdriven the car since last year. Thus, this opens the perfect opportunity for Mercedes to put its rival in a difficult position if Wolff does manage to poach Verstappen. However, fans will have to wait to see how the driver market shapes up in the coming weeks.

Related: Ex-F1 team boss declared Max Verstappen can win in a ‘tractor’ over Red Bull slump