Topics: George Russell, Max Verstappen, Mercedes, Motorsport, Formula 1
Formula One star George Russell has told former rival Max Verstappen to join him at Mercedes in a shocking interview ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Despite the fact that there are still 16 races left in the 2025 Formula One season, some fans have already started looking ahead to 2026, which is expected to be a massive year for the sport.
The 2026 season will see the introduction of a new team to the sport, and with it two new drivers, while many other drivers will change seats as the highly-anticipated new regulations come into place.
One current driver that has been heavily linked with making a shock move, is reigning champion and Red Bull star Verstappen, who could join the likes of Mercedes, McLaren or Aston Martin.
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Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Mercedes driver Russell, who had a fierce rivalry with Verstappen at the end of last season, was asked about the Dutchman joining him next season.
As it stands, neither Russell or teammate Kimi Antonelli have been confirmed as part of Mercedes' lineup next season, leading to speculation over who Verstappen would replace should be join the team next season.
But when asked if he was worried about these links or if he felt that they were disrespectful, Russell told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo: “Not really.
“No, because the fact is that there are two seats in a Formula 1 team. And I’ve already said that I’d be happy to be Verstappen’s team-mate.
“But the fact is: why wouldn’t a team want Verstappen?
“If I were Toto, and you had two options… If you could have any driver and all the drivers were available, I would choose myself and choose Verstappen. If I were in Toto’s shoes.
“So I don’t see it as disrespectful. That’s how the sport goes.”
However, Sky Sports legend Martin Brundle isn't so sure that Russell should be confident that it would be Antonelli that would make way for Verstappen, claiming the Brit should maybe be concerned about his future with Mercedes.
“I think if Max Verstappen sprung into the marketplace, I would be quite worried for George, actually, because Kimi is obviously their man for the future,” said Brundle.
“So there’s a lot of ifs in there. George is doing a great job for him as team leader, but Toto [Wolff] missed Max once, I don’t think that he’ll miss him a second time should he get the opportunity.”
