Christian Horner opens door to George Russell move as Red Bull put pressure on Toto Wolff

Christian Horner has confirmed Red Bull are considering a move for George Russell when the Mercedes driver’s contract expires at the end of the 2025 Formula One season.

Christian Horner has revealed Red Bull could set their sights on George Russell once his tenure with Mercedes comes to an end.

Out of contract at the close of the next F1 season, 26-year-old Russell’s prowess on the track, notably alongside team-mate Lewis Hamilton, hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Red Bull boss, describing it as “foolish” not to ponder an offer for him. Russell, who graduated from Williams, has been making waves at Mercedes over the past two years.

He currently sits seventh in the 2024 standings with seven races left and 143 points under his belt, thanks to victory at the Austrian GP and podium finishes in Canada, Azerbaijan, and Spain. Horner sees him as a potential top-tier addition to Red Bull after his Mercedes contract expiration.

In the build-up to the Singapore GP qualifying, Horner admitted: “We have got a gap now but we just want to take time to consider what those options look like for the future. We’re not afraid to go out of the pool. George Russell is out of contract at the end of next year and it would be foolish for us not to take that into consideration.”

Kimi Antonelli is set to join Russell at Mercedes for the 2025 season, while Hamilton is leaving to Ferrari. If both Mercedes drivers leave, Toto Wolff may need to find a new superstar like Max Verstappen, who has a potential out in 2026.

A potential scenario may involve Russell switching places with Verstappen, but Horner is not worried about future talent as he is focused on winning.

He further stated that many young drivers, including some mentioned, have been given opportunities by the Red Bull system, which emphasizes performance and results.

Max is certainly meeting expectations. While Checo has not been performing well this year, he did a commendable job last year by finishing second and helping us win the constructors championship.

It is important to think ahead as we have talented individuals in our team. One of them is Liam Lawson who is currently on standby. “We are uncertain about whether Colapinto, Bearman, and Antonelli are at a high level of competition. Only time will reveal the truth.

Isack Hadjar, who was previously leading the Formula 2 championship, is part of our team. I am particularly enthusiastic about the promising talent, Arvin Lindblad, in F3. Our junior program has a lot of talented individuals.”

Max Verstappen is the favorite to win his fourth consecutive title this year. He is leading the championship with a significant 313 points, having secured seven wins and 10 podium finishes. In second place is Lando Norris of McLaren, trailing behind with 254 points.