Former McLaren man advocates for a Max Verstappen-George Russell lineup at Mercedes 

Former McLaren driver and F1 champion Jenson Button feels Mercedes should go for a Max Verstappen-George Russell lineup if the Dutch driver is coming to the German team. The question of Verstappen's future has been one of the hottest ones in the paddock lately, with the driver unwilling to commit to a future with any team.

The driver won his first title with Red Bull in 2021, and in 2022, he signed a multi-year contract with the team that continues until 2028. Even though Verstappen's current contract expires in 2028, there are some exit clauses that are put in place in case the performance of the car is not up to the mark.

Since 2024, Red Bull has been struggling with performance in general, and the car has not been the best since Miami last season. While Max Verstappen was able to rescue the season last time around, it is highly unlikely that he would be able to do so this time, as he's a whopping 69 points behind in the championship. This has escalated rumors of a possible move to Mercedes.

With the driver not committing his future to Red Bull, this has become a topic of conversation, especially when it comes to who Toto Wolff would remove from his current lineup to field Verstappen. Talking about the same on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, Jenson Button felt that the best call would be to field Verstappen-Russell. He said,

"To replace Max with him, it just seems like a strange move. I know they've got the young Kimi Antonelli, who's 18, who could be a future star. But we still don't know that. Whereas George is there, he is good, and you need two very competitive drivers with this new era of the sport. Next year, obviously lots of regulation changes, car change, engine change. So, for me, George and Max would be a better line-up.”

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It's a tricky call for Max Verstappen as well

Jenson Button also touched on how this was going to be a tricky call for Max Verstappen as well when it came to leaving Red Bull, a team that was built around him, and moving to Mercedes. The challenge is also going to be different because Verstappen has been used to being dominant against his teammates but that might not be the case from the get-go at the German team.

Talking about the call that Verstappen would have to make, Button said,

“It's a tricky one for Max, because he's in a position where he's doing so well with Red Bull – they've given him so much over the years. They've designed this car around him, and he's extremely good at it. Nobody can match him in that car. They're so far off him. I mean, him qualifying third or fourth, and them qualifying 18th. If he goes to Mercedes, it's a different thing altogether."

He added,

"You know, that car is not going to be designed around him. So, is it going to work for him? I don't know. I mean, the best in the world should be able to make that work for him. It's a tough one on George, because George is at the top of his game. I think he's been so competitive. When you see what he did against Lewis [Hamilton] in the last few years, he is World Championship material."

There's still a lack of clarity over what direction Max Verstappen would take for his career, but it is safe to say that the question over his future is going to be the main talking point for many involved.

Edited by Luke Koshi