George Russell interview: ‘There is no bulls--- with Max – I would not fear him at Mercedes’
‘So, George, how will it feel going up against Max Verstappen at Mercedes next year?’ The question is put to George Russell tongue-in-cheek. Well, sort of. If the drama currently engulfing Red Bull does not subside soon, who knows what might happen. But after a quick smile to show he appreciates the spirit in which the question was intended, Russell gives an earnest response, as is his way.
“Obviously I respect Max,” he says. “I respect all of the drivers. As I said in Bahrain last week, I’ve had the greatest driver of all time alongside me now for… this is my third year at Mercedes.
“Max is certainly one of those. As is Fernando [Alonso, another driver who has been linked with Lewis Hamilton’s seat once the seven-time world champion departs for Ferrari next year].
“But I’m happy whoever’s lined up alongside me because when I walk into the garage I don’t look to the other side. I look at my garage, my team, my crew, and I work on myself. I believe in myself. I believe I can beat anybody. So yes, from my side I’m pretty relaxed.”
It is a similar response to the one Russell gave in Wednesday’s FIA press conference in Jeddah – clearly rehearsed, inoffensive, backing himself while paying respect to his rivals. But I’m not letting him get away that easily.
"I believe I can beat anybody on the grid" 🔥
George Russell welcomes the challenge of an experienced driver to drive alongside him at Mercedes 📢 pic.twitter.com/o6nvGmWlwu— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 6, 2024
Verstappen is arguably the quickest driver of this or any generation. He also comes with considerable baggage. His father Jos, who attends most of his races, is no shrinking violet. Together they present a formidable challenge. Both have fiery tempers when pushed. Would Russell really welcome that at Brackley, just when it looked as if he would be the ‘senior’ statesman in any new partnership?
Russell does not miss a beat. “Absolutely,” he insists. “Max is very straightforward. There’s no bull---t with Max. Obviously we had a bit of a coming-together in Baku last year, but we laughed about it afterwards. There is no issue at all.”
That ‘coming-together’ was one of the more competitive moments in a season of complete Red Bull domination. Russell, who had the inside of a corner on the opening lap of the sprint race in Azerbaijan, took a large chunk out of Verstappen’s sidepod as they fought for position. Afterwards, a furious Verstappen squared up to the Briton in parc ferme, calling him a “d-------”. But Russell refused to back down. As he said at the time: “I’m here to fight, I’m here to win. I’m not just going to wave him by because he is Max Verstappen in a Red Bull.”
He did not take his helmet off, though, did he? Was that in case Verstappen took a swing at him?
“Haha, I’ve learnt from experience,” Russell says, laughing.
There is no doubt Russell is in a good place at the moment. At 26, he should be coming into his prime, entering his third season with Mercedes. He has experience of going up against, and beating (at least in their first season together), a multiple world champion. He has increasing confidence in his own technical acumen. He has a strong relationship with Toto Wolff, his team principal.
Hamilton, asked in Bahrain whether Russell could lead the team once he was gone, gave what felt at the time like a couple of slightly backhanded compliments, describing the younger man as “very technical” and “incredibly close with Toto”.
But Russell does not argue either point. He discloses at the start of our conversation that he spent the days between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia out in Dubai with the Wolffs, playing padel with Toto’s wife Susie, his girlfriend Carmen and his trainer Aleix Casanovas. “Everyone’s into padel these days,” he says.
All in all, he says, he feels he is in the perfect spot. “I really do. I mean, I look back to when Lewis joined Mercedes, how old was he, 27-28? I will be that age when we enter the new regulations in 2026.”
For now, Russell is eager to get his head down and try to extract the maximum from his Mercedes here in Jeddah. But for engine cooling issues, he says, he would have been fighting Sergio Pérez for second place in Bahrain last week. That gives him confidence for the rest of the season.
“We know there was a guaranteed loss of 15 seconds just in the power in Bahrain,” he reasons. “And that’s purely power. That doesn’t take into consideration the effect the issue had on our tyres, or having to overdrive to defend at certain points. We’d have been in the fight for second, no doubt about it.”
Russell is less confident about challenging Verstappen this year. “Oh yes, the championship is still going to Max and Red Bull,” he says.
Will it be closer than last year? Russell famously predicted at the season opener in Bahrain 12 months ago that Red Bull might win every race. “I was only one off,” he observes.
This year, he predicts there will be “more race winners just because there are five competitive teams”. But, he adds, such is Verstappen’s speed advantage he can afford to set his car up for the race every weekend and still qualify at or near the front of the grid. Other teams do not enjoy that luxury. “If we give up two tenths on a Saturday, we’re losing maybe six positions on the grid,” he says.
In the long term, though, Russell says he is confident he is in the right place. “Absolutely. Heading into 2026, Mercedes, with the new power unit, are in such a strong position. Probably alongside Ferrari, to be honest. They’re probably the two forces in that regard. And you know, by that point, I’ll be entering my fifth season with Mercedes. So yes, I feel in a great place. Whoever comes in next year I don’t see that changing.”
Even if it is Verstappen? Maybe the world champion, like Russell, will gamble that Mercedes are the best bet for 2026. Maybe if things do not resolve themselves between Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner, he will jump ship, if not next year then the one after? Russell smiles again.
“When I moved to Mercedes, I went up alongside Lewis who was in his eighth year. And he’d won six of those championships in eight years, which is more success than Max has had at Red Bull.
“But I didn’t fear it at all. I sort of relished the challenge and I’ve proven myself against Lewis. So you know, I have no fear jumping into any car alongside any other driver because I feel what I did was probably the hardest thing any driver could do.”
