George Russell pulls back the curtain on how he dealt with the Max Verstappen to Mercedes rumors

For a fair chunk of the year, the paddock speculated that Max Verstappen would head to Mercedes for the 2026 season, and George Russell might be left on the sidelines. Though this move didn't come to fruition, the Briton was having to contend with such rumors every race weekend, and he has now revealed how he dealt with such speculation while the paddock spooled up such hypotheses.

Russell has been under Mercedes' wings even before he made it to F1. He made his debut in 2019 and was promoted to the factory outfit in 2022. Since then, he has been the lead point scorer for the team, but even this wasn't able to guarantee his spot in the squad in the long run.

Earlier in the year, speculations about Verstappen possibly being on the move had left the Mercedes duo vulnerable to being shown the exit gate. While the Dutchman later affirmed his faith in Red Bull, Russell had to wait for dark clouds to clear away from his F1 career.

So, reflecting on how he dealt with the Verstappen-Mercedes rumors before the four-time champion ended his talks with the German giant, Russell said (via Motorsport):

"You simply look for the smallest differences, whatever allows you to take another step up your level. It's a combination of the confidence I have in my own abilities, the confidence in the car I have underneath me, and the confidence in the group of engineers who directly influence my performance. I also have a great team off the track that prepares me mentally for each race." "Honestly, I only heard that outside noise on Thursdays. It went in one ear and out the other, and I just kept on with my work."

On the other hand, there was also a possibility that Mercedes would loan off Kimi Antonelli to another team for 2026 to form a Max Verstappen and George Russell driver lineup.

---

What is George Russell's opinion on possibly being paired with Max Verstappen at Mercedes?

Mercedes' George Russell (L) and Red Bull's Max Verstappen (R) after the Sprint race during the United States Grand Prix weekend - Source: Getty

George Russell and Max Verstappen have a tainted history of racing each other. Moreover, a glimpse of this rivalry was even witnessed at the Mexican GP, where the Englishman had lashed out at the reigning champion for his first lap antics.

So, when asked about his perspective on the proposition of Verstappen-Russell lineup for Mercedes, the 27-year-old said (via Supercar Blondie):

"You don’t need to be best mates as team mates. Senna and Prost weren’t good friends, and they still finished one-two. Obviously, Lewis and Fernando [Alonso] is a notable exception. So, yeah, Max is an incredible driver. There’s no denying that. But that’s why I would relish going up against him. We all believe we’re the best."

Meanwhile, both Max Verstappen and George Russell are mathematically in the contention for the drivers' title alongside the McLaren duo.

Edited by Geetansh Pasricha