‘Never say never’ – George Russell issues surprise response to Max Verstappen question
Max Verstappen and George Russell are known to have an uneasy relationship
George Russell has opened the door to becoming Max Verstappen’s teammate in the future either in F1 or at events like the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Verstappen and Russell are known to have an uneasy relationship following a war of words between the pair in the closing weeks of the 2024 season.
George Russell ‘would relish opportunity’ to partner Max Verstappen
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust
Verstappen accused Russell of exaggerating an incident in qualifying at the penultimate round in Qatar to land his rival a grid penalty.
Russell responded a week later in Abu Dhabi by criticising Verstappen’s aggressive approach, claiming that the four-time world champion turns to “borderline violence” after suffering setbacks.
As reported by PlanetF1.com, Verstappen’s Red Bull team made a nod to Russell’s comments following his retirement from last month’s Canadian Grand Prix, where the Mercedes driver was handed a suspended fine for throwing his headrest on track in frustration.
A post by Red Bull Racing’s official social media account read: “Borderline something something.”
Go deeper: Max Verstappen’s Red Bull contract
F1 driver contracts: What is the contract status of every driver on the F1 2026 grid?
F1 2026 driver salaries: Who are the highest-paid drivers on the grid?
Verstappen was heavily linked with a move to Mercedes last summer before the team opted to extend the contracts of Russell and teammate Kimi Antonelli, the runaway F1 2026 championship leader.
Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, was spotted in conversation with Verstappen’s father Jos in Canada, sparking suggestions that the team could renew its interest in the Red Bull man for 2027.
Russell is understood by PlanetF1.com to have a one-plus-one deal in place at Mercedes, with his 2027 plans hinging on whether he meets certain performance targets this season.
Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other media outlets in April, Russell insisted that he is “very likely” to meet those performance targets on the back of Mercedes’ dominant start to the F1 2026 season.
The Canadian Grand Prix took place a week after Verstappen impressed in his debut at the Nürburgring, leading for much of the race before his Mercedes-AMG GT3 car developed a costly driveshaft problem.
Verstappen’s affiliation with Mercedes on the GT3 scene would theoretically open the door to a partnership with Russell if the British driver also opts to sample endurance racing.
Despite the pair’s awkward history, Russell says he would be willing to team up with Verstappen in the future either in F1 or in another category of motorsport.
He said: “Never say never. Who knows? As I said, never say never.
“Max is obviously one of the best. I was asked a lot last year about being teammates with him, but more in Formula 1 rather than sharing a seat.
“I’m up for it and would relish the opportunity to always go against the best.
“That’s how I felt when I was teammates with Lewis [Hamilton between 2022 and 2024] and still how I feel about Max.
“As any driver, you want to go head to head with the best.”
Russell went on to reveal that he would “definitely” like to follow in Verstappen’s footsteps at the Nürburgring.
However, he claimed that Verstappen is in a “luxurious position” to be able to sample different forms of motorsport having achieved so much success in Formula 1, with the Mercedes driver still focused on securing a maiden world championship.
Asked about the prospect of competing at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, he replied: “Yeah, definitely one day.
“To be honest, watching Max was pretty cool to see.
“I’ve followed the race in the past and those 24-hour races – there, Bathurst as well – they’re just brutal races.
“And all of us are in a slightly different position to Max.
“Obviously, we’re also pursuing to win a world championship, but obviously he’s in a luxurious position to do what he enjoys.
“That’s great for him. And he did a great job.”
Verstappen is officially under contract with Red Bull until the 2028 season having signed a long-term extension following his maiden title-winning campaign in 2021.
However, former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed in 2024 that Verstappen’s deal contains a “performance element” that would allow him to walk away if the team fails to provide a competitive car.
It is understood that Verstappen will be free to leave Red Bull for 2026 if he is lower than second in the drivers’ standings at the time of the summer break.
Verstappen currently sits seventh with 43 points, trailing second-placed Russell by 45.
The 28-year-old has warned that he will walk away from F1 for 2027 if the proposed changes to the engine rules – including a move away from the current 50:50 split between internal combustion and electrical power – do not go through.
Laurent Mekies, the Red Bull team principal, recently confirmed that the team will support the change to the rules despite “nobody” being comfortable with such a late tweak for 2027.
Mekies also played down the significance of Wolff’s meeting with Verstappen Sr in Canada.
Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.
You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!
Read next: ‘Too many risks’ – Next Lewis Hamilton step after Ferrari experiment confirms suspicions
