Mercedes driver George Russell has claimed that Max Verstappen was not really complaining about F1 cars when he was winning with Red Bull in 2022, as he addressed the possibility of the Dutch driver leaving the sport. The 2026 cars have caused a lot of controversy as the new style of racing has its critics.
The new power units introduced in 2026 with a 50:50 split have led to adverse criticism from one side of the fan group, while the other has maintained a conciliatory tone. The new power unit means that drivers are being forced to drive well within themselves in the high-speed sections and are under-driving their respective cars.
This has led to adverse criticism from drivers, with Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Fernando Alonso leading the charge. The other side of the coin has seen George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, and Kimi Antonelli come out in defence of these cars, with claims that these cars end up inducing more wheel-to-wheel action.
While that is true, Max Verstappen has emerged as the biggest critic of these cars, as the driver’s plight has been made worse by the fact that Red Bull is also struggling at the same time. As this continues, George Russell has weighed in on the matter and given his opinion.
Talking to the media, including Sportskeeda, the Mercedes driver pointed out that Max Verstappen was as vocal when it came to the 2022 cars, even though those cars were also quite stiff on the drivers’ backs and necks.
Russell also pointed out that Verstappen was at a different stage in his career compared to many other drivers, as he had already achieved four titles and would hence want to do stuff that is more fun. He said,
“Formula 1 is bigger than any driver. So, you know, you wouldn’t want to lose Max because I think we all enjoy racing against Max. And it’s just part and parcel of Formula 1. I didn’t enjoy driving the 22 car when it was porpoising up and down, killing everybody’s backs. The car was big, it was heavy, the high speed corners, it wasn’t very pleasant to drive around. But he didn’t have the same complaint because he was winning.”
He added,
“Now, the complaints that he has currently are different to the complaints of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren because we’re at the front end of the grid. And this is only natural, and you do understand and recognise the frustration but he’s achieved what most drivers dream of which is winning a championship. He’s got 4 of them.”
George Russell will understand if Max Verstappen leaves the sport in 2026
Talking about Max Verstappen, George Russell felt that the Dutch driver had already broken most records in F1. He didn’t strike as someone who was pursuing records in his career, and that has never been his aim.
Russell compared where he was in his career and where Max Verstappen was in his career at that point and felt that he could understand if the Red Bull driver decided that it was time to leave the sport at the end of 2026. He said,
“And at the end of the day, I guess you get to a point in life that you want- there’s not really much more for him to achieve in Formula 1. You know, he’s ticked all the boxes, maybe he can go after the records, but knowing him as I do and knowing drivers who have won or achieved similar things; at one point, you want to do what puts a smile on your face. And if driving the Nordschleife- I can totally understand why driving the Nordschleife puts a smile on his face.”
He added,
“But my goal now is to become a Formula 1 world champion. If I have 4 of them under my belt, I’d probably be doing the same. So, you know, he’s in a very different stage of his career. And yeah, I think you’d understand if he stayed and you’d understand if he weren’t.”
Max Verstappen does have an exit clause in his Red Bull contract in 2026, and if he does appear not to be in the right frame to continue racing, then he might end up taking a sabbatical or retiring from the sport.
Edited by Charanjot Singh Kohli
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