The Englishman is not afraid of comparison with Max
George Russell already several weeks ago he declared that he would welcome Max Verstappen with open arms if the Dutch driver actually leaves Red Bull to join Mercedes. The two were rivals in the race in Monaco, with Russell holding onto fifth position from attacks by Verstappen who was on fresher tire after the pit stop.
Reached by Daily Mail Russell (who recently had a confrontation with Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Silverstone with the 2022 Mercedes) returned to address the topic Verstappen-Mercedes: “I have already had to deal with the driver who has the most pole positions and the most victories in F1. I would not shy away from a comparison with Verstappen nor would I veto his arrival – said Russell – the only thing I can do is play with these calibers and show off my performances. It wouldn’t surprise me if Max takes a sabbatical in 2026 to see what the best team will be. 2026 is a lottery.”
Russell renewed with Mercedes a year ago until 2025 and wants to remain faithful to the Brackley team, even if the goal obviously is to become world champion: “Lately F1 has had the Verstappen era, but for six years it had to wait. I want to remain faithful to Mercedes who gave me the opportunity to race in F1, but I want to become world champion. Right now we are not the best team, but the McLaren was at the back of the group a year ago and now they are the fastest“.
#Russell #Verstappen #sabbatical
