31/05/2025 12:00
George Russell has said he would be "happy" to have Max Verstappen
as his team-mate at Mercedes, going so far as to say they are the
line-up he would choose if he were Toto Wolff. Whilst no slight on
rookie Kimi Antonelli, the British driver underlined the point that
the Red Bull star's exalted position in F1 would make him the
number one option for any team competing in the championship.
Russell and Verstappen have clashed on a couple of occasions over
the past year and there is evidently no love lost between them, but
the Mercedes driver maintains he would go after the four-time
drivers' champion if he were in Wolff's position of team principal.
That plays into the long-standing speculation tying Verstappen to a
seat with Mercedes, something that has been heightened by Russell
being out of contract at the end of the year. When asked if he was
growing bored of the persistent rumours linking the Dutchman to the
Brackley-based team, or if he found them disrespectful, Russell
denied on both counts. "The truth is, no," he told Spanish
publication Mundo Deportivo . "No, because the fact is, there are
two seats in a Formula 1 team. And I've already said 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 choices... If you
could have any driver and all the drivers were available, I would
choose myself and I would choose Verstappen - if I were in Toto's
shoes." 'It's not disrespectful, it's just the reality' As far is
Russell is concerned, Verstappen would slot into any line up on the
grid. The 27-year-old argued he would replace his former team-mate
Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, but was less sure on who McLaren would
sideline. "So I don't see it as disrespectful," the three-time
grand prix winner added. "That's how the sport goes. "And Ferrari,
if I could choose, would choose Verstappen and Leclerc. McLaren
would probably choose Verstappen and... here it would perhaps be
more challenging: Norris or Piastri. "But if by 2026, every team
could choose its drivers, Verstappen would be the number one choice
for every team. So it's not disrespectful, it's just the reality."
