George Russell opens up about threats over his seat as Toto Wolff flirts with Max Verstappen

George Russell has revealed that he was never worried about losing his race seat as Mercedes boss Toto Wolff considered the idea of ​​signing Max Verstappen during the 2025 summer break. The Briton also admitted that the German team was simply looking to sign the best driver on the Formula 1 grid at the moment.

Since reports of Toto Wolff’s interest in bringing Max Verstappen to Mercedes first emerged in 2025, George Russell has maintained that he would understand why the team would want to sign the Dutchman. However, he is not worried that it will be to his detriment.

Speaking recently, Russell once again reiterated that he never felt threatened by the idea of ​​Verstappen moving to Mercedes, even if he had to be his team-mate.

“I was never worried about losing my seat,” Russell said. “As a team, you want the best driver pairing available. Verstappen is the best driver currently on the grid.” [via Auto Motor and Sport on Monday]

He added that he described himself as the best on the grid alongside the 4-time world champion:

“No matter where you bring the best of the two together, a confrontation is inevitable sooner or later. But a team like Mercedes with Lewis and Valtteri, that’s ideal.”

George Russell has signed a new contract with Mercedes, which will reportedly run until the end of the 2026 season, with the option to extend for a further year. His teammate Kimi Antonelli also signed a similar deal. This means the doors at Brackley will likely remain open for Max Verstappen in 2027.

Under the current situation, the hierarchical order of entry into the era of new regulations is still unknown. If Mercedes are indeed the quicker pack, as has been widely reported, it could become an attractive prospect for many drivers on the grid.

George Russell reviews the era of Formula 1’s new regulations starting in 2026

George Russell has explained that Formula 1’s 2026 regulations are inherently closer to the turbo-hybrid era that ran from 2014 to 2021, a period dominated by Mercedes. He also claimed that he wasn’t ready to put all his money into Silver Arrows yet.

Speaking about the possibility of Mercedes being the fastest car in 2026, Russell said:

“It would be foolish of me to say I’m putting all my money on Mercedes. The aerodynamic regulations for next year are closer to what we had in the previous era when Mercedes dominated the field.”

Added to this is his confidence in the engine.

“Mercedes has been the benchmark in this field for many years,” Wilson added.

Mercedes is scheduled to supply power units to four teams in 2026, including its own works group. Ferrari will support three teams, while Red Bull Powertrains will provide engines for its teams. Audi will join the grid as a new engine manufacturer, while Renault will exit the sport as a manufacturer.

The 2026 Formula 1 cars will hit the track for the first time during the first pre-season test in Barcelona on January 26. Before that, all reports about the superior power unit remained pure speculation.