Reports; George Russell talks with Red Bull uncovered as Christian Horner ‘chats’ emerge
Mercedes star George Russell could leave the team and join their immediate title rivals next season according to recent reports. Red Bull are keeping tabs on the Silver Arrows star and George Russell could replace Max Verstappen, should he choose to leave the Milton-Keynes team.
Max Verstappen has been unhappy with his situation at Red Bull and could activate his exit clause if the latter do not improve their performance. Should he leave, Mercedes is one of the few options available for the Dutchman, with Toto Wolff being a huge fan of the 4-time F1 champion.
Verstappen’s move away from the team could force them to sign a top driver, with Russell being an obvious choice. The British driver has enjoyed a thoroughly impressive start to the 2025 F1 season, putting in a couple of extraordinary performances.
The Race quoted in their article:
“Sources suggest that Russell and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner have had some informal chats over recent weeks, so are aware of each other’s situations even if things have not advanced to full-on talks about a race deal.”
George currently trails Verstappen in the World Drivers’ Championship standings. The Dutchman holds third place with 87 points, while George is in fourth with 73 points.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff also provided an update on Russell’s contract talks this season. The Austrian said discussions would be delayed until the summer break, allowing time to also monitor Max Verstappen’s next steps.
George Russell “surprised” by Max Verstappen’s actions in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen was very vocal about the FIA’s penalty in Saudi Arabia. However, his rival George Russell had an opposing view on what happened.
The 27-year-old was asked if he was surprised by Max Verstappen’s penalty verdict in the opening lap of the Saudi Arabian GP.
“No, not at all,” said the Mercedes star to media including Sportskeeda.
“I was quite surprised he didn’t give the position back straight away, to be honest.”
The Dutch driver received a 5-second penalty for a first-lap incident involving McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. That penalty ultimately made the difference, as Verstappen finished just 2.8 seconds behind the Papaya-colored car.
Elsewhere, George Russell had a tough outing at the Jeddah circuit, slipping two positions to finish in P5. Still, the Briton maintained his record of finishing every race in the top five this season.
