George Russell and Max Verstappen.
George Russell isn’t opposed to Max Verstappen joining him at Mercedes but says he also wouldn’t be “at all surprised” if the Dutchman took a year off in 2026 to evaluate the teams and their new power units.
Despite having a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, there are ongoing speculations that Verstappen might not stay with the team for the entire duration.
Could Max Verstappen take a sabbatical in 2026?
According to reports, Verstappen is contemplating his future options for the year 2026, which could potentially involve a connection with Mercedes, partially due to Toto Wolff’s public pursuit of the three-time World Champion.
In two years’ time, Formula 1 will introduce not only updated cars to the grid, but also a fresh engine formula. This change will involve a complete shift towards fully sustainable fuels and increased utilization of electrical power in the sport.
Formula 1 last brought in new engines in 2014, which led to Mercedes surpassing Red Bull’s previous Renault engine and putting an end to the Milton Keynes team’s four-year dominance as World Champions.
Russell believes that instead of joining Mercedes in 2026, Verstappen may choose to take a break from the sport and observe how the situation evolves, as only time can reveal if history will repeat itself.
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“I wouldn’t shy away from jumping alongside Max,’ Russell told the Daily Mail. “Nor would I shy away from him jumping in with us.
“I faced the ultimate challenge of joining Mercedes alongside the statistically greatest driver of all time, both in qualifying and in the race. However, I rose to the occasion and performed on par with him, giving my all.”
“It’s possible that Max may decide to take a break in 2026 to observe which team emerges as the strongest. It wouldn’t be surprising if he chooses to do so, considering that 2026 is like a lottery – anything can happen and the outcome is uncertain.”
Russell has been explicit about his aspirations for the future – he envisions himself becoming a World Champion, preferably with Mercedes.
He expressed his loyalty to Mercedes for giving him opportunities, but his ultimate goal is to become a World Champion. Unfortunately, the team’s current performance does not align with that goal. However, he pointed out that just a year ago McLaren was the slowest team, and now they have become the fastest.
Verstappen, meanwhile, was recently asked about his future by the Guardian newspaper and replied: “It would be amazing to finish my career here at Red Bull, all the years staying basically at one team would be incredible.”
He expressed, “I value loyalty greatly and consider myself a loyal person. It is a trait I expect from the team, and fortunately, they have always exhibited it, which is something I cherish and hope to maintain indefinitely.”
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