It seems to be George Russell’s fate that every step in his Formula 1 career happens later than it should. The British driver is part of the select group who won in their debut seasons in the junior categories (Formula 3 and Formula 2), alongside Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. Unlike other champions of his generation, George had to grind it out for three full years at Williams, during a time when the once-glorious British team was trying to drag itself out of mediocrity.
An overly long apprenticeship before making it to Mercedes—right at the point when the Silver Arrows stopped dominating. In truth, Russell was on the verge of winning the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix when he stood in for Lewis Hamilton, who was sidelined with COVID. Misfortune robbed him of a thoroughly deserved victory.
During his three seasons alongside the seven-time world champion, Russell has more than held his own. In fact, statistically speaking, he’s been more productive in terms of wins and pole positions than his teammate. Whenever the car matched the driver’s ability, George always delivered. Still, the shadow cast by Hamilton often downplayed the consistency and speed of the 1998-born driver.
George’s new role at Mercedes
When Lewis Hamilton decided to answer Ferrari’s call, Mercedes was left stunned. For twelve years, the now-forty-year-old had been the team’s technical linchpin. For the first time since its return to F1, Mercedes entered a season without a world champion in one of its cars.
Lewis Hamilton’s departure accelerated the rise of Kimi Antonelli, who inherited the massive legacy of the sport’s all-time record holder. While the Italian is expected to be allowed time to develop gradually, Russell has implicitly been handed the role of team leader. While there were never any doubts about his speed, George is now being asked to carry a team that lost the figure who wrote its history.
The first four rounds of the season have shown that George is very comfortable as the leader of Toto Wolff’s squad. The Briton has demonstrated consistency, character, and his natural speed, already standing on the podium three times. At this stage of the championship, he has scored more points than anyone outside the McLaren camp.
Red Bull, George Russell’s worst enemy
A stuttering Red Bull may be George Russell’s biggest threat. It’s well known that Toto Wolff has long courted the four-time world champion from the Netherlands. The Austrian boss likely sees signing Jos Verstappen’s son as a sure-fire recipe for success. However, if Mercedes’ 2026 power unit turns out to be the strongest on the grid, Max could become a luxury they don’t need.
Especially if Russell continues performing at his current level all season. Emotionally, the British driver is showing his best form amid contract uncertainty—just as Carlos Sainz did last year. The clear objective is to earn a contract extension by delivering the very best version of himself.
So far, he’s hitting that target brilliantly. And while Max Verstappen is showing he’s still the best driver in F1, George is operating at an impressively high level across entire race weekends. Which raises a legitimate question: could Verstappen have done better than the Briton in the same car? The answer to that question may well shape Russell’s future with the Silver Arrows.
According to information gathered by the Italian media, contacts have indeed been made between Max Verstappen’s camp and the Brackley-based team. It’s a developing situation worth watching closely, because Max wants to keep winning—and he’s beginning to lose trust in the team that “raised” him into an F1 world champion.
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