With Max Verstappen confirmed at Red Bull for F1 2026, the ball is now in the court of George Russell, says Martin Brundle.

However, considering his driver management background, Sky F1 pundit Brundle could not help but cringe when he heard Russell say he would “pay” to fight for the world championship.

George Russell: Formula 1 future with Mercedes?

Russell is piecing together his strongest campaign yet in F1 2025. He claimed a fourth career win in Canada, and has registered five further podiums.

Yet, as it stands, he does not have a contract for next season.

For a time, Russell’s Mercedes future was called into question due to the possibility that Verstappen would trigger an exit clause in his Red Bull contract. That did not happen.

But, Russell has not yet signed a new Mercedes

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