George Russell is gearing up for the British Grand Prix this weekend as the F1 world swept up in rumours that rival Max Verstappen could take his Mercedes seat for the 2026 season.
As Formula One returns to the historic Silverstone Circuit, the British driver has found himself is caught up in speculations and unconfirmed reports.
If Russell secures his fifth career victory on the weekend and beats the Dutch driver, he might unintentionally give Verstappen an opportunity to leave Red Bull earlier than his contract allows, which ends in 2028.
Several F1 experts and fans have speculated that if the 27-year-old racer does not rank in the top three in the championship at the end of July, he would move to some other team.
Ahead of the British Grand Prix, Verstappen is third with 155 points on the scoreboard, and Russell is fourth with 146 points.
As per Sky Sport Italia reports, the four-time F1 champion and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff have held "concrete negotiations," which were concluded with a positive response from the Dutchman.
However, a veteran British commentator and former F1 driver Martin Brundle, a close pal of Russell, shared, "There's no smoke without fire."
He added that the Briton was "nervous and ringing around a little bit."
Moreover, Wolff also played it coy in Austria when asked about the potential switch, noting, "I don't want to be sadistic in letting a driver wait or not taking any decision when it should be taken."
If Russell is not offered a new contract with the team after three years of loyalty, he will have plenty of options to choose from; however, the most suitable vacancy might just be as Verstappen's successor at Red Bull.
