Formula 1 legend Juan Pablo Montoya has questioned whether Mercedes should sign Max Verstappen in the impressive form of George Russell.
Russell went back to his previous victory method at the Canadian Grand Prix, giving Mercedes his first victory in F1 2025.
Russell controlled the race from pole position and defeated Burstappen.
The former Williams driver’s form was impressive, putting him in the conversation as the best driver so far.
However, despite his strong performance, he has not yet signed a contract for next year.
Russell’s Mercedes contract went away at the end of 2025 – and they haven’t given him an extension yet.
Mercedes boss Totowolf insists he wants to stick with Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
Wolf expressed serious interest in Verstappen last year as he was looking for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen is believed to have an exit clause in his contract, and it could potentially be made available to him in Brackley-based outfits.
Montoya was confused by the Mercedes situation.
Over the past few weeks, the rumor factory has been sent to Overdrive.
Russell has been linked to Aston Martin, but it was rumoured that Fernando Alonso was in discussions with Alpine during his third stint at Enstone.
Speaking to the Casino Hawks, Montoya gave his views on the situation with Russell Mercedes.
“George is really close to competing for the championship,” Montoya said. “He’s there. So the question for me is that he signed again with Mercedes, and if he did, why wasn’t it announced?
“Are they waiting to see how Max’s situation unfolds in Red Bull? Let’s say they brought Max., do they remove George or get rid of you? That’s a difficult decision.
“If you’re a Mercedes, you’re willing to put it all in danger, and seeing how George drives every week, are you relying on Antonelli at this point? Would you give George?
“I don’t care how much money and time they spend on Antonelli, and that’s not an easy decision.
“At this point, does Mercedes really need Max? Winning in Canada is a big deal for him.
“If you go to Austria or Silverstone, you won’t be surprised if George is announced with a new deal. Russell might leave Mercedes if Verstappen joins.”