According to Rob Smedley, a well-received former engineer, Mercedes should choose Max Verstappen over George Russell.
Russell’s contract with Mercedes expires at the end of this year, and there is a tendency to continue that relationship from 2026 in a new era of Formula 1, but no agreement has been concluded yet.
This is because the entire F1 driver market depends on Verstappen. Verstappen may choose to call a performance-based exit clause on the contract if he is unhappy with Red Bull’s performance and the loss of key personnel such as Adrian Newey.
According to Red Bull advisor Adrian Newey, the exit clause will be active during the summer holidays in August, with rival teams waiting for him to solidify his future before completing his lineup.
Mercedes’ Max Burstappen or George Russell?
George Russell
Smedley, a former Williams and Ferrari race engineer, believes Russell’s performance against teammate Toruis Hamilton from 2022-24 and will guarantee a contract extension early in the year.
However, he said that if Verstappen became available, things would change completely, with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff having taken him to vision ever since Hamilton announced his decision to leave the team more than 12 months ago.
“I think George did enough to show that he is now a skilled and experienced Grand Prix driver,” Smedley told the F1 Nation Podcast.
“It was fun to see (Russell’s) body language when (Andrea) you (Antoneri) was on track in Miami.
“George was very unhappy that you got that sprint rain pole and outperformed him in the main qualifiers. The normal order has been restored in the race, but George was very unhappy and he wasn’t saying that he sat down and sat.
“He is pretty unhappy and you need that fire and motivation from the driver who needs to consistently earn the right to join the top team.
“If I had Toto shoes on, yes, I would definitely sign him, he has earned the right to re-sign.
“He’s consistently delivering, but it all comes down to what Max wants to do. It all comes down to Max’s availability.”
Mercedes was told to prioritize Max Verstappen
Russell has so far won the podium in four of his six Grand Prix, and his results helped Mercedes strengthen his grip in second place in the Constructors Championship ahead of Red Bull.
Meanwhile, Verstappen sensed Japanese Grand Prix from the pole and also finished on the podiums in Australia and Saudi Arabia.
The Red Bull’s contract with Dutchman will tie him up until the end of the 2028 season, but he will be free to leave as early as next year if the team’s performance does not meet certain pre-comprehensive standards.
Mercedes and Aston Martin are proposed as a possible option for Verstappen if he decides to break his contract and move elsewhere.
Smedley is sure of Russell’s potential, but he believes there is no driver with a better grid than Verstappen.
Asked if the team would sign Russell, even if Verstappen reaches the driver market, Smedley said:
“And he did it in Miami on Saturday, and he did it at the start of the race.
“So, if I was in a position to make this decision, if that’s what you’re actually asking of me, would I want Max Verstappen in my car now on top of someone else on the grid? Yeah, 100% of the time I would.”