George Russell says his Mercedes seat never felt under threat from Max Verstappen before the Dutchman ended widespread paddock speculation by signing a major contract extension with Red Bull. Verstappen had been repeatedly linked with a switch to Mercedes since Lewis Hamilton announced his departure for Ferrari, though rumors ultimately cooled following Red Bull's announcement locking him in until 2030.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had previously kept the door open for Verstappen, while strong performances from team-mate Kimi Antonelli also kept the driver market dynamic. However, speaking ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Russell emphasized that internal discussions within the Brackley-based squad always painted a completely different picture from external media reports.
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Subscribe"It was always very clear from within Mercedes what the reality was over these past couple of years," Russell stated. "Maybe those conversations were slightly more public than the conversations his team were having with the likes of McLaren, or Ferrari, or whoever else it may have been."
Russell acknowledged that drivers and teams routinely evaluate their options and talk amongst themselves as part of the sport's standard business landscape. Despite the swirling paddock rumors, the British driver maintained 100 percent confidence in his standing within the team alongside management.
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"That is just the nature of the sport, as drivers talk with different teams and teams talk with different drivers to see what their cards are," Russell added. "My seat never felt under threat, and I felt total security with Toto and the team throughout this entire process."
Reigning world champion Lando Norris also addressed the swirling rumors after it was revealed that McLaren had held exploratory talks with Verstappen's camp during the summer break. The potential move had drawn extra attention due to upcoming staff changes, including long-time Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase heading to Woking.
Norris admitted he would have warmly welcomed a driver of Verstappen's caliber into the team, noting the immense value of having a multi-time world champion as a direct team-mate. However, the British driver pointed out that his long-term partnership with Oscar Piastri remains completely secure.
"I never heard much more than what you guys did, but I welcome anyone to be my team-mate," Norris said regarding the speculation. "A guy who has won as many world championships and possesses that much talent would always be cool to have alongside you one day."