Nico Rosberg Casts Doubt On George Russell's Mercedes Future

Former F1 champion Nico Rosberg casts doubt on George Russell's Mercedes future due to Toto Wolff's interest in recruiting Max Verstappen.

Jun 9, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Mercedes driver George Russell (GBR) salutes the crowd during the drivers parade of the Canadien Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg has revealed his doubts about George Russell's continued tenure with Mercedes.

He asserts that Russell's position is precarious, citing team principal Toto Wolff's persistent interest in recruiting Max Verstappen. Rosberg claimed to Sky Sports F1:

"George is not safe at all because Toto still wants Max.

"He will try again for 2026 because 'give up' does not appear in Toto's vocabulary. If Max does become available - and I do think it's a possibility - then it is a shootout between George and Kimi next year.

"It's a lot of pressure on George as he has everything to lose. He should be the one ahead at the team internally, because Kimi is 18 and he's completely new and in a full-pressure situation, so it's not an easy situation for George."

Rosberg's comments come amid a noteworthy shift in the team's driver lineup. As Lewis Hamilton prepares to move to Ferrari next season, his seat is set to be filled by 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Both Antonelli and Russell's contracts with Mercedes are set to expire at the end of 2025.

Commenting on the new addition to the team, Russell explained that he was looking forward to taking everything that he had learned from seven-time champion Hamilton into his new role as the lead driver in the team:

"I look forward to using the experience I've gained from my own journey to provide guidance to Kimi as he makes the step up to F1.

"I know how much of a support Lewis was for me throughout my time as a junior driver and since I've been his team-mate. I've learned so much from him and hope to play a similar role for Kimi."

2024 F1 Drivers' Standings

1. Max Verstappen - 303 points
2. Lando Norris - 241 points
3. Charles Leclerc - 217 points
4. Oscar Piastri - 197 points
5. Carlos Sainz - 184 points
6. Lewis Hamilton - 164 points
7. Sergio Perez - 143 points
8. George Russell - 128 points
9. Fernando Alonso - 50 points
10. Lance Stroll - 24 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 22 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda - 22 points
13. Daniel Ricciardo - 12 points
14. Pierre Gasly - 8 points
15. Oliver Bearman - 6 points
16. Kevin Magnussen - 6 points
17. Alex Albon - 6 points
18. Esteban Ocon - 5 points
19. Zhou Guanyu - 0 points
20. Logan Sargeant - 0 points
21. Franco Colapinto - 0 points
22. Valtteri Bottas - 0 points