George Russell warns Max Verstappen he’d face ‘a lose-lose situation’ if they became Mercedes teammates

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Max Verstappen is said to remain a Mercedes target even after George Russell and Kimi Antonelli retained their seats for 2026. Toto Wolff’s interest in arguably the most complete driver on the current grid is no surprise.

After protracted negotiations, partly due to the potential availability of Verstappen, Russell signed a new Mercedes contract earlier this month. At the same time, the team confirmed that Antonelli would be staying put.

The announcement was very clear that the combination is only locked in for 2026, potentially leaving a seat open for Verstappen in 2027. Mercedes could become the most appealing destination in F1 if, as expected, they nail the new regulations.

Though his contract runs until 2028, Verstappen can leave Red Bull earlier through strict exit clauses. There’s also a suggestion that the team won’t stand in his way if he asks out, in recognition of what he’s achieved at Milton Keynes.

George Russell says Max Verstappen would be ‘expected’ to beat him at Mercedes

In an interview with The Telegraph, Russell reiterated that he would ‘relish’ the prospect of facing Verstappen in equal machinery. It would give him a chance to prove he’s ‘the best’ driver in F1.

Russell has already taken down Lewis Hamilton, the most successful racer the sport has ever seen, at Mercedes. He outscored him in two out of three campaigns.

Russell was very much the underdog when that partnership was formed, and it would be the same alongside Verstappen. Were Verstappen to prevail, it would be seen as an ‘expected’ outcome.

But if he was slower than his teammate, for the first time since his early days alongside Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull, there would be ‘big’ reputational damage.

“Max is an incredible driver,” said Russell. “There’s no denying that. But that’s why I would relish going up against him. We all believe we’re the best.

“I don’t see why he wouldn’t [feel the same]… I mean, it’s obviously more of a lose-lose situation for him.

“The same as when I was teammates with Lewis. If he beat me, he was expected to. But if he lost to me, yeah, it’s seen as a big loss. Or the same with me and Kimi now. But I mean, we’re getting well ahead of ourselves here.”

What George Russell hasn’t said ‘publicly’ about his new Mercedes contract – until now

Verstappen and Russell aren’t friends, but nor are they enemies. Their relationship has stabilised since an explosive fallout at the end of the 2024 season.

Russell launched a premeditated attack on Verstappen in the press after a heated dispute over a grid penalty at the Qatar GP.

But when they collided in Spain earlier this year, with the world champion penalised, there was no repeat. Verstappen doesn’t regret the Russell incident, even though it cost him crucial points.

Privately, Russell thought Verstappen would replace him – rather than Antonelli – if Wolff pulled off a deal. But he’s now confirmed for the first time that his seat for 2027 will be guaranteed if he meets a certain performance threshold.

He said: “It is something I haven’t actually said publicly, but the deal is, if I’m performing, we have a specific clause that if I reach, we will automatically renew for 2027. So my seat for 2027 is in my hands.

“So I’m not being strung along here. We’re not going to be in the same position as we were six months ago. If I perform, and I don’t want to go into details, but if I perform, then 100 per cent I’ll be staying.”