George Russell does not rule out a future collaboration with Max Verstappen at Mercedes, despite their on-track rivalry. The British driver emphasizes that a strong personal bond between teammates is not necessary for success and would find it ‘great’ to compete against the Dutchman in the same team.
“You don’t have to be best friends as teammates,” Russell told The Telegraph. “Senna and Prost weren’t good friends either, and they still finished one-two in the championship. The same goes for Hamilton and Rosberg. Of course, Hamilton and Alonso are a notable exception, but Lewis should have just won that year.” The Mercedes driver added, “Max is an incredible driver, there’s no denying that. That’s exactly why I would love to compete against him. We all believe we are the best. But we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves here,” said the Brit.
However, Russell believes that Verstappen, in a collaboration with him, would end up in a situation where he could only lose. “The same as when I was Lewis’s (Hamilton) teammate. If he beat me, it was expected, but if he lost to me, it was seen as a big defeat. The same now applies to Kimi (Antonelli) and me.” According to Russell, it would therefore be considered normal if Verstappen beat the Brit, but if Russell beat the Dutchman, it would be a bad outcome for Verstappen.
Verstappen’s Future Still Uncertain
Toto Wolff has shown interest in Max Verstappen for quite some time, and the Dutchman is regularly linked with a move to Mercedes. His current contract with Red Bull runs until 2028. For now, however, Verstappen is waiting for the implementation of the new, drastic technical regulations to assess which team will be in the best position by then. In addition, he could decide to quit if he does not like the new cars.
