George Russell has stated that it would be "completely understandable" if Mercedes pursued Max Verstappen for the 2026 season.
Speculation about Verstappen's future is rife in the Jeddah paddock, fuelled by reports that Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund is backing a $300 million, three-year offer to lure the quadruple world champion to Aston Martin.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is also reportedly interested, though he remains publicly reserved to support his current drivers, Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli.
Russell, 27, is out of contract at the end of 2025 but also in career-best form, and it also seems unlikely that Wolff would drop his teenage protege Antonelli.
A Russell-Verstappen pairing also seems improbable. Williams boss James Vowles, a close associate of Wolff, commented in Saudi Arabia, "I don't think so," when asked about the two as teammates, adding, "I think they're two very different characters."
Russell, however, appeared pragmatic about Verstappen's potential availability. "Why wouldn't they want to sign Max?" he said. "That's completely understandable. He's the best driver at the moment. He's a four-time world champion. That's nothing against myself or Kimi. There are two drivers for each team and he (Verstappen) is just one person."
Russell's relaxed demeanour may stem from reports in Bahrain suggesting Wolff is preparing to offer him a lucrative two-year contract extension.
"Rumours are never very reliable, are they?" he laughed in Jeddah. "Some of them are pretty close to reality, I guess, but at the end of the day, we never discuss contracts until May or June of a season."
He also highlighted the fragility of Formula 1 contracts, noting Verstappen's current situation as evidence. "When it comes to contracts, everyone gets excited, but the fact is that drivers have contracts and if they don't perform, they get replaced. For drivers, performance is our currency," Russell said.
"That's all we have. I'm not worried because my performance speaks for itself. I'm performing as well as anyone on the grid at the moment."
