Christian Horner has opened the door for George Russell to join Red Bull, insisting that it would be “foolish” not to consider the Brit given his contract with Mercedes expires at the end of next season.
Mercedes have been openly courting Max Verstappen’s signature for some time and with the Dutchman available to poach for 2026 thanks to a contract clause, change could soon be afoot at Brackley.
If the three-time world champion does swap Red Bull for Mercedes then Toto Wolff will have a difficult decision to make. Both Kimi Antonelli and Russell are tied down in 2025 only, and both are valued graduates of the team’s young driver programme.
If Verstappen goes to Mercedes and Russell is ousted then Red Bull could potentially look to pounce, according to team principal Horner. “George Russell is out of contract [in 2025], he told Sky Sports F1. “It would be foolish not to take that into consideration”
Losing Russell to arch-rivals Red Bull would no doubt be a brutal blow for Wolff. The Austrian poured significant resources into the 26-year-old’s career during his time in Formula Three, Formula Two and at Williams in the hopes that he could one day lead the team after Lewis Hamilton’s departure.
MORE TO FOLLOW
We’ll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.
For the latest news and breaking news visit: /sport/football. Stay up to date with all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
Follow us on Twitter @dexpress_sport – the official Daily Express & http://Express.co.uk Twitter account – providing real news in real time.
We’re also on Facebook @dailyexpresssport – offering your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day to like, comment and share from the Daily Express, Sunday Express and http://Express.co.uk .
