The future of George Russell and Max Verstappen's Formula 1 seats is far from secure and could soon see the two stars competing for the same spot. Russell's contract with the Silver Arrows is currently due to expire at the end of the 2025 F1 season. The Briton is set to take over as Mercedes' No.1 driver outright this year after Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari, with Kimi Antonelli signing on as the new No.2 at Brackley.
And Jos Verstappen has poured fresh fuel on the fire of speculation concerning his son's future at Red Bull after growing disillusioned with their performance in 2024. Verstappen persevered through a disappointing second half of the season to win a fourth straight world championship, but father Jos once again hinted at an exit amid speculation he could join Mercedes.
"Red Bull needs to build a car that is no longer so difficult to drive," he said during an interview with Münchner Merkur/tz media group. "If you look at the second half of 2024, you cannot be optimistic. "Anything is possible. He can stay at Red Bull if he sees the point. His goal is to be able to win races. If he feels this is no longer possible at Red Bull, a switch is not out of the question.".
Verstappen Jr remains contracted to Red Bull until 2028, but there have been rumours he could exit that deal early - or retire altogether. It's widely known Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is a fan of the Dutchman, who could replace Russell if a move to Mercedes was possible this time next year.
Addressing the subject in November, Wolff described Verstappen as a "huge talent" but clarified his team were "building with Kimi and George." Likewise, Russell said in September he hadn't discussed his future with Mercedes but commented: "We’ve always said we will be continuing together for the indefinite future.".
