Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has long caused a stir with his courting of world champion Max Verstappen. Now Red Bull boss Christian Horner is hitting back: he has his sights firmly set on George Russell.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is publicly courting the services of Mercedes star George Russell.
“We want to take our time to consider what the options for the future look like,” the Briton began in an interview with “Sky Sports” on the sidelines of the Singapore Grand Prix. He then added a sentence that will probably not go down well with his rival Mercedes: “We are not afraid to look outside the existing pool of drivers. George Russell is out of contract after next season – it would be foolish not to consider him.”
Russell moved from Williams to Mercedes in 2022, and his contract with the Silver Arrows was extended last summer until the end of 2025. He has won a race twice in his Formula 1 career so far: in 2022 he won in Sao Paulo, and this season he also won in Spielberg.
What’s next for Perez at Red Bull
For Toto Wolff, the 26-year-old is a key building block not only now, but also in the medium and long term. Because: From 2025, exceptional talent Kimi Antonelli will move into the cockpit of record world champion Lewis Hamilton, with George Russell then being the much more experienced driver.
At Red Bull, Horner’s recent statements about the future line-up of drivers may also have been a nod to Sergio Perez. The Mexican only received a contract extension until the end of 2026 in June, but has not yet been able to repay the contract with performance.
Recently, rumors have been circulating from Mexico that the 34-year-old is now considering ending his career early after the current season.
Source: www.sport.de
