“Mercedes have to get a young gun in” – Martin Brundle would not be surprised if Mercedes announce the signing of George Russell during the Silverstone Grand Prix weekend.
The writing is on the wall for Valtteri Bottas. After playing second-fiddle to Lewis Hamilton ever since he joined Mercedes, the Finn is set to make way for George Russell after this season.
Toto Wolff had earlier suggested the decision will not be confirmed in haste, but former driver and Sky pundit Martin Brundle feels the upcoming British Grand Prix at Silverstone is the ideal location for the anointment.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if George got the drive next year alongside Lewis at Mercedes. Whether it’ll be announced at Silverstone, if they’re going to do it, why not? It would be the perfect place.”
Can Valtteri Bottas win a world title?
Like most of us, Brundle feels he will not be able to, having been in the shadow of Hamilton all this while. Bottas is a good driver but doesn’t seem to have the firepower to become a world champion, something more vivid in the Mercedes junior George Russell.
“If you were running Mercedes you’d ask is Valtteri Bottas is our man to win the World Championship when Lewis inevitably retires two, three, four years into the future. You’d have to think no.
“I hate to say that, I really admire Valtteri as he is a great driver and does an amazing job against the might of Lewis Hamilton but you can’t honestly say if Lewis wasn’t there Valtteri would be dominating instead, can you?
“So I think Mercedes have to get a young gun in there that would emerge as their automatic new team leader sooner than later.”
