Although George Russell was heralded as Mercedes’s future, his tenure with the Silver Arrows has been tumultuous as the British driver prepares for a pivotal 2025 campaign.
The top driver for Mercedes is George Russell. For the time being.
Since being selected to race for Williams for the first time in 2019, the Norfolk native has gained experience as a Formula One star. He had been a part of the Mercedes Junior Driver Program since 2017, and in 2022, he made a significant transfer to the Silver Arrows.
Although Russell outperformed a dejected Lewis Hamilton, who was still reeling from his defeat in Abu Dhabi, in his debut campaign, things haven’t been going well for him since. Russell has benefited this season from being the team’s main driver following Hamilton’s confirmation of his transfer to Ferrari, as he was the first of the two drivers to receive an upgrade.
He will return to that position in 2025, but there are still questions about his future after that due to the unseen schemes of team principal Toto Wolff and his own patchy play. And over the course of the next year or so, a number of circumstances could still come to pass, which would surely be Russell’s worst nightmare. We examine the worst situation that could happen to him.
No Mercedes deal
Russell is expected to stay with the Silver Arrows and assume the role of team captain now that Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari at the end of this year has been confirmed. August 2023 saw the 26-year-old sign a new two-year contract with Mercedes that will keep him there through the end of the following campaign.
However, Russell’s future after that is still up in the air. It’s always possible that Mercedes won’t extend an offer to him, which would mean he would have to find a new team by 2026. If he doesn’t perform well the following year, that might very well be the case.
Neither Russell’s 2024 season nor his performance in it has always been a compelling display of skill. He is currently eighth in the championship despite two pole positions and two race victories—one of which was nullified in Belgium because of an underweight car.
As of Friday, August 30, the former Williams driver has only accrued 122 points, trailing behind Hamilton, who is currently in sixth place with 154. Mercedes has shown improvements throughout the season, even though they aren’t always at their best, and Russell’s departure would probably mean a step down for him.
Kimi Antonelli shines
The man—or rather, boy—predicted to take Hamilton’s seat in 2025 is probably 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli, as his departure draws closer. Although the Italian is presently competing in his first Formula Two season, he has spent the entire year preparing for the Mercedes second seat.
He has already finished a rigorous testing program and will drive a 2024 Mercedes F1 car during Friday’s practice session in Monza. Teams must use one of the two rookie outings each season. This is the most recent achievement in Antonelli’s meteoric rise. Over the past two years, he has made an impression on the junior circuit by winning consecutive titles in Italian F4, ADAC F4, Formula Regional Middle East, and Formula Regional European.
Wolff, who has been closely monitoring the teenager’s development for nearly ten years and has prepared him for this moment, is obviously fond of the teenager. Before the Italian Grand Prix, Wolff predicted that it would be an extremely moving occasion. Since he was 11 years old and a little go-kart driver, we have followed him.
“I believe that everyone in Italy can be very proud of seeing him drive out on Friday in FP1, in Monza, in front of the tifosi, having an Italian kid in a competitive car.”
Wolff responded, “Then we’ll take it from there,” without going into further detail about his promotion. Given Wolff’s support and Russell’s description of the talent as “exceptionally fast,” it’s possible that Antonelli will eclipse the British driver in his first Formula One season, much like Hamilton did against Fernando Alonso in 2007.
Russell joined the F1 team in 2022, and being surpassed by a teenager would undoubtedly alter his relationship with the team and raise concerns about his future. For the time being, though, Wolff supports him, saying, “George is one of the best drivers, a formidable one. An eighteen-year-old is not going to sit in the car and perform better than him. It is not going to occur. Unthinkable.
Verstappen to Mercedes
The world champion’s uncertain future is continuing to feed rumors that Red Bull’s long-standing rivals may receive a surprise move. Max Verstappen won’t be joining Mercedes in time for the upcoming campaign, but rumors that he is leaving the team that won three world titles for him are only getting more and more strong.
After publicly labeling Christian Horner a “problem” after his sexting scandal, his father Jos has been critical of Horner and the team’s performance this season on multiple occasions. Jos was even spotted cuddling up to Mercedes CEO Wolff. Red Bull’s dominance in Formula One is beginning to wane, and Verstappen himself has cut a frustrated figure as the Dutchman has lost five races.
Wolff has made no secret of his positive relationship with Jos, whose remarks increasingly imply that he wants his son to desert. “The team’s good players are departing. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the current situation following Verstappen’s underwhelming result at his home Grand Prix in Zandvoort last weekend.
And Wolff disclosed in a shocking interview with BBC Sport that he had discussions with Verstappen regarding a move for the upcoming season. He acknowledged that it would be a “long shot” to bring Verstappen on board for 2025, but he didn’t rule out Verstappen joining the Silver Arrows in 2026.
He expressed his support for Russell, at least temporarily, saying, “For the benefit of our drivers next year, I don’t want to have any conversation about 2026 or beyond, because we very much hope that the 2025 line-up will be the line-up going forward.”
Russell, though, will undoubtedly be aware that his position may be in contention for the upcoming season given all the connections to Verstappen and the driver’s admission that he gets along well with Wolff. That could mean the end of Antonelli’s career with Mercedes, which would be a sad development for a driver who was once predicted to win the world championship, along with an outstanding rookie campaign.
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