15/07/2025 18:10
Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes George
Russell is creating Mercedes a problem in its hopes to sign Max
Verstappen from Red Bull. Both Russell and Kimi Antonelli remain
without a contract for next season, leading to Verstappen being
heavily linked to the Silver Arrows in recent weeks. However, the
general expectation is that if Toto Wolff manages to persuade the
Dutchman to join, it would be to partner Antonelli. Russell
suggested in Austria that Mercedes' conversations with Verstappen
had slowed his renewal talks, despite enjoying one of his strongest
seasons in F1 to date. The Briton, who has taken the leadership
baton from Lewis Hamilton and is currently fighting Verstappen for
third in the F1 drivers' title race, has insisted he has no
concerns over his future. However, Steiner wonders if Russell is
demanding a longer contract than Mercedes is prepared to give him,
in the hope of attracting Verstappen further down the line in 2027.
"I think they want to give George a one-year contract to have the
possibility of having Max in '27, and George obviously says, 'I
don't want a one-year contract. I want three years', something like
this," Steiner told the Red Flags podcast. "Or George is
[complaining] about money, and Toto just wants to put the heat on
him. I don't know the inside, but there could be a lot of things
why this has played out like this. "But I think the biggest thing
is, I would think Max says, 'In '26 I stay with Red Bull, see where
everybody ends up performance-wise, and then maybe I make a change
for '27'. "Because I think he can do that as well, like every year
with the performance of the car, but obviously Mercedes needs to
have a place in '27 for him. "And obviously, Toto is putting his
money on Kimi, that in '27 he will be good because he has then had
two years in Formula 1. And I guess the offer for George is a
one-year contract. And George is saying, 'No, I want three years'."
