The rumor mill is in full swing! While Max Verstappen is still suspected of prematurely terminating his Red Bull contract, the question arises as to who could potentially succeed him. If the Dutchman actually moves to Mercedes or Aston Martin, who should accompany Yuki Tsunoda? Reportedly, Red Bull has already left the door ajar for George Russell, who is still awaiting a new contract with Mercedes.
The online platform The Race reported this week that George Russell and Red Bull team boss Christian Horner have held a number of ‘exploratory talks’. Amid all the uncertainty about Max Verstappen’s future, the Austrian racing stable may want to hedge against a sudden departure. No formal negotiations have been started yet; for now, it has remained at a few initial talks.
Russell on the Chopping Block
George Russell’s current contract is set to expire at the end of this year. The 27-year-old Brit has had a strong start to the season with Mercedes – perhaps his best so far – and has been repeatedly praised by team boss Toto Wolff. The latter has expressed satisfaction with his current line-up, although he openly flirted with the idea of recruiting Max Verstappen last year. If he manages to bring the Dutchman to Brackley, experts believe George Russell would be the first to be let go. The promising Andrea Kimi Antonelli, seen by some as the next Verstappen, is expected to remain with Mercedes in the long term.
In that case, Russell could potentially make the move to Red Bull. The initial talks between the two parties could form a strategic basis in case Verstappen decides to leave. Russell, of course, is aiming for the most competitive seats in Formula 1, but the spots at McLaren and Ferrari are currently taken. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have multi-year contracts, and neither Charles Leclerc nor Lewis Hamilton need to worry about their positions for the time being.
