Russell Labels Verstappen 'Best Driver' Amid Rumors About His Potential Move To Mercedes

Wednesday, 06 March 2024 at 18:00

George Russell discussed the rumors about Max Verstappen possibly joining him in the second seat of Mercedes in 2025.

The triple World Champion's father, Jos Verstappen, reportedly told his friends that Max Verstappen would leave the Red Bull Racing F1 team if he had to.

This statement alone would be enough to spark many rumors, but what added to the fuel was that the 52-year-old was already spotted talking to the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff.

According to F1 Insider, the situation at Red Bull after Horner's investigation is extremely tense. Gerhard Beger said that Max Verstappen is leaving for Mercedes if the situation doesn't improve.

The triple World Champion replacing Lewis Hamilton is a scenario even Wolff himself wouldn't dare to dream about when he was announced his superstar driver would be leaving.

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But how real is this? Sky Sports reporter David Croft asked George Russell whether he could see Verstappen going to Mercedes happening, and he responded:

"I think any team wants to have the best driver lineup possible, and right now, Max is the best driver on the grid. So, if any team had the chance to sign Max, they would 100% be taking it."

However, it doesn't seem like the wisest move for the 26-year-old to abandon the team that offers him the most dominant car on the grid. Russell continued:

"I think the question is more on the other side, on his side, and on Red Bull's side. Obviously, so much is going on there, we don't know what truly is going on behind closed doors, and ultimately, it's none of our business."

However, in the end, the Mercedes F1 driver returned to the original question of whether he could see this move happening, and he added, "Right now, yeah, I guess it would be exciting."