George Russell has revealed that he was never worried about losing his race seat as Mercedes boss Toto Wolff flirted with the idea of signing Max Verstappen during the 2025 summer break. The Briton has also conceded that the German team was simply looking to sign the best driver on the F1 grid at the moment.
Ever since reports of Toto Wolff being interested in bringing Max Verstappen to Mercedes first came out in 2025, George Russell has maintained that he would understand why the team would want to sign the Dutchman. However, he is not worried that it would be at his expense.
Speaking recently, Russell has once again reiterated that he never felt threatened by the idea of Verstappen moving to Mercedes, even if he has to be his teammate.
“I was never worried about losing my seat. As a team, you want the best possible driver pairing available. Verstappen is currently the best driver on the grid,” Russell said. [via Auto Motor and Sport on Monday]
Branding himself as the best on the grid alongside the 4x world champion, he added:
“No matter where you put the two best together, a confrontation is inevitable sooner or later. But a team like the one Mercedes had with Lewis and Valtteri, that’s perfect.”
George Russell has signed a new contract with Mercedes, which will reportedly run till the end of the 2026 season, with an option to extend a further year. His teammate Kimi Antonelli has also signed a similar deal. This means the doors at Brackley potentially remain open for Max Verstappen in 2027.
As things stand, the pecking order going into the new regulations era remains unknown. If Mercedes is indeed the quickest package, as has been reported widely, it could become an attractive prospect for numerous drivers on the grid.
George Russell previews F1’s new regulations era commencing in 2026
George Russell has explained that the 2026 F1 regulations are closer in nature to the turbo-hybrid era that lasted from 2014 to 2021, a period that was dominated by Mercedes. He also claimed that he was not ready to put all his money on the Silver Arrows just yet.
Speaking about Mercedes potentially being the quickest car in 2026, Russell said:
“I’d be a fool to say I’m putting all my money on Mercedes. Next year’s aerodynamic regulations are closer to what we had in the previous era when Mercedes dominated the field.”
Added to that is his confidence in the engine.
“Mercedes has been the benchmark in this area for many years,” Wilson added.
Mercedes is set to supply power units to four teams in 2026, including its own works outfit. Ferrari will support three teams, while Red Bull Powertrains will provide engines to its two entries. Audi will join the grid as a new engine manufacturer, while Renault exits the sport as a manufacturer.
The 2026 F1 cars will hit the track for the first time during the first pre-season test in Barcelona on Jan. 26. Before then, all reports about which power unit is superior remain purely speculative.