George Russell discusses Max Verstappen potentially replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes: “I welcome a challenge”

Following Lewis Hamilton’s ’emotional farewell’ announcement from Mercedes in 2025, the Silver Arrows have been busy looking for the perfect fit as the Briton’s replacement. The current F1 champ Max Verstappen is now being touted to make the switch, amidst the on-going ‘theatre drama’ at Red Bull.

Regarding the ‘Verstappen to Mercedes’ rumor, the German team’s #2 George Russell has recently spilled out his thoughts into the matter.

George Russell talks on Verstappen possibly taking over Hamilton

In a pre-race interview before the Saudi Arabian GP, George Russell has revealed his personal insights on Max Verstappen’s rumored switch to Mecedes as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement– a topic that took off after Jos’ meeting with Toto Wolff at the Bahrain GP.

Talking about Verstappen potentially replacing Hamilton, George Russell started off by saying, “I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job alongside him [Lewis Hamilton], so whoever were to line up alongside me next year or the years to come, I welcome anybody.”

“I welcome a challenge. You always want to go against the best,” he told, terming it as a challenge.

Reflecting on his own racing prowess, he confidently quoted, by saying, “But ultimately, for me, [I’m] just focused on myself. I believe in myself; I believe I can beat anybody on the grid, and you’ve just got to have that mentality.”

“As I said, having Lewis as my benchmark for the last couple of years has been a pretty good benchmark for sure,” Russell concluded, emphasizing on his words.

During the interview, he was questioned whether Mercedes’ interest towards Verstappen is realistic or not. To this, he replied, “I think any team wants to have the best driver line-up possible, and right now Max is the best driver on the grid, so if any team had a chance to sign Max, they’ll 100 per cent be taking it.”

From what SportsZion understands, if the move really sees daylight, George Russell will have to be Verstappen’s sidekick, like he has been to Lewis Hamilton throughout their time at Mercedes.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton’s bond

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton has shared a pretty ‘great-on-screen-and-rivals-on-the-track’ type of a relationship during their ‘three and counting’ years at Mercedes. Discussing George Russell’s on-screen time with Hamilton, the Mercedes teammates seem to portray a notable ‘bromance’ during the shoots for Mercedes and Formula 1.

On the racing front, they share a common mission: Russell aims for Hamilton’s ‘hot seat,’ while the former F1 champion works to keep him in check.

However, their relationship catapults to the ‘archrivals’ category sometimes, which is often crystal clear in their racing styles on the track. This ‘arch rivalry’ was on full display at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where George Russell was sent crashing off the track after Hamilton brushed him around a corner.

As it looks to be, George Russell has a ‘competitive rift’ with Lewis Hamilton on the track, despite having respect for the 7x World Champion. But, what type of bond they share away from the track and screen is something that’s a bit vague and needs further speculation.

George Russell will prove his ‘challenging’ nature to the two greats of the game–Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton–at the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP on 9th March.

Will George Russell really be welcoming towards Max Verstappen at Mercedes? Will Max Verstappen even think of making the move to the Silver Arrows? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.