Over the past few days, surprising reports have emerged that reigning world champion Max Verstappen could potentially replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year. These reports have emerged amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. As such speculations continue to get more and more attention, George Russell also shared his thoughts about the possibility of having the Dutchman as his teammate.
When asked if Mercedes will show interest in signing the three-time world champion, Russell replied (as quoted by Autosport), “Any team wants to have the best driver lineup possible. Right now Max is the best driver on the gird, so if any team had the chance to sign Max they would 100% be taking it“.
The Briton then added how he would welcome the challenge of having Verstappen as a teammate as he too wants to compete against the best drivers. “Whoever was to line up alongside me, I welcome anybody. I welcome a challenge,” the 26-year-old added (as quoted by Deni).
Russell believes he is capable of competing against Verstappen on the same side, having spent a couple of seasons with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton as his teammate. Although reports have indeed claimed that there is a possibility that Verstappen could move to Brackley in 2025, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has denied the possibility.
Toto Wolff sees no reason for Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull
Since Max Verstappen has won all three of his championships with Red Bull over the past three campaigns, Toto Wolff does not believe that the Dutchman will leave Milton Keynes for any other team. The Austrian told Sky Sports Italy in a recent interview that any F1 driver always wants to be with the fastest team, and that Red Bull at the moment are the quickest.
Such questions were posed to Wolff after pictures went viral of him having a discussion with Jos Verstappen, the father of Max. If the 26-year-old Dutchman were indeed to leave Red Bull and join Mercedes, it would perhaps be the greatest F1 driver move in history.
Such a move would be far more shocking than Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari, simply because of the animosity that Mercedes and Red Bull have shared over the past couple of seasons. Moreover, Max Verstappen himself has been at the center of these hostilities, having beaten Lewis Hamilton for the championship in 2021 in arguably the most controversial of circumstances.
