Christian Horner Drops Big Hint Of Signing George Russell For 2026 - 'Not Afraid To Go Out Of The Pool'

Saajan Jogia | Sep 22, 2024

May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull team principle Christian Horner sits in the F1 Village before the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner discussed the team's future driver prospects, highlighting the exceptional talent emerging from its junior ranks. Horner also noted that Red Bull is willing to look beyond its own driver "pool" to secure top talent, citing Mercedes driver George Russell as a potential example.

The comments come in the wake of VCARB (RB) driver Daniel Ricciardo's underperformance, with rumors about his ousting doing the rounds in the paddock. He qualified P16 on Saturday for the Singapore Grand Prix. The Red Bull junior team has mostly served as a platform for young talent to elevate themselves into seasoned drivers for a seat with the Milton Keynes outfit.

The 35-year-old Australian driver's position at VCARB has faced frequent scrutiny, especially with Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson eager for a full-time seat in Formula 1. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s teammate, reportedly narrowly avoided being replaced within the Red Bull lineup.

Though his mid-season dip in performance has been linked to the balance issues of the RB20, the stark difference in pace compared to Verstappen continues to stand out. Despite securing a two-year contract extension with Red Bull in June, Horner noted that several other driver options remain on the team's radar.

When Sky Sports F1 asked Horner if the race at Singapore was Ricciardo's last with the team, as quoted by Formula1.com, he said:

“Well, look, these things are under constant review. There is obviously a much bigger picture other than just Daniel as we continue to look at all of our options as we move forward.

“Now there’s a natural break coming with effectively almost a month’s gap to the next race, so it’s only natural that you’ll take stock and consider all of those options for the final part of the year.”

Horner's comments suggest that Red Bull will consider its options in the month-long break after the Singapore Grand Prix before Formula 1 heads to Austin next month. The team principal then listed several junior drivers as potential options, as Red Bull looks "further down the road." He added:

“We’ve given a great opportunity to so many youngsters over the period of time.

“The Red Bull system does demand results and demand performance. Of course, Max is delivering. Checo [Sergio Perez] has been underdelivering this year. Last year, he did a good job, or good enough job to finish second in the [drivers’] championship and [for Red Bull to] be constructors’ champions.

“We’re having to look further down the road. We’ve got some great talent. We’ve got Liam Lawson on the bench. We’re not quite sure, looking at the likes of [Franco] Colapinto and [Ollie] Bearman and [Kimi] Antonelli, is he at that level? Only time will tell.

“We’ve got Isack Hadjar in F2 who’s been until recently leading that championship. We’ve got a very exciting young talent, that I’m particularly excited about, in F3, Arvid Lindblad. So, we’ve got depth in our junior programme, and that’s why there’s a natural point in time.

“We’ve got a gap now, but we just want to take time to consider, ‘What do those options look like for the future?’"

Horner then mentioned Russell as a potential option, whose Mercedes contract expires at the end of 2025. He revealed:

“Look, we’re not afraid to go out of the pool. George Russell is out of contract at the end of next year. It would be foolish not to take that into consideration. There are other drivers, talented drivers, that will be out of contract as well.”