It describes a scenario that could potentially sacrifice his Mercedes future George Russell.
Russell’s current Mercedes deal expires at the end of this season, but he is reportedly stealing favorable new terms with a clear show of faith from the team.
However, the ongoing doubt surrounding Max Verstappen’s future could have a knock-on effect.
“If Max Verstappen jumps into the market, I’d be very worried about George,” Martin Brandle told Sky Sports in Formula 1 Bahrain Grampuri.
“Kimi Antoneri is clearly their man of the future.
“There are a lot of “ifs” there.
“George does an amazing job for them as a team leader.
“But Totowolf missed Max once. I don’t think he’ll miss him again.
Will Mercedes jump and sign Max Verstappen?
Russell, Verstappen
Mercedes is famous for missing out on the opportunity to sign a teenage Verstappen before he was snapped by Red Bull.
“Do you regret missing Max? Surely,” admitted in 2023, Wolff, the principal of the Mercedes team.
“But that wasn’t an option back then.”
Wolff met Jos Verstappen in 2014 about his talented son. However, Mercedes was in its prime at the time, along with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
Red Bull quickly moved to snap Verstappen – and paid dividends as their decision ended the era of Mercedes rule together.
Last year, Wolf once again spoke about the possibility of signing Verstappen to replace Hamilton, tied up by a Ferrari.
The opportunity never came to fruition despite his difficult times at Red Bull, so Wolf placed his faith in Rookie Antonelli.
Some F1 insiders have suggested that signing an Antonelli talent newcomer is a lesson they learned after not picking up Verstappen.
This year marks its fourth F1 champions, and Verstappen’s future is once again debated.
Helmut Marco admitted with concern that Red Bull could lose a top driver unless the struggling car finally finds a performance that fits the McLaren.
Ralph Schumacher boldly predicts the fast approaching deadline for Verstappen to quit Red Bull.
Mercedes and Aston Martin are obvious landing sites if Verstappen chooses to leave.
But the new deal on Mercedes’ Russell’s table complicates the matter.
The F1 driver contract makes little sense if the team is intended to change, but Mercedes has made it clear about his belief in Russell, who was on the podium in Bahrain last weekend.
But if Verstappen is available, does that change suddenly?