The 2024 driver movements have been a very curious issue, especially owing to the announcement of Lewis Hamilton making a move to Ferrari.
After the announcement, the hope was that George Russell would become the lead driver at Mercedes. However, F1 expert Peter Windsor believes that if Carlos Sainz were to win one or two more races this season, it could lead to a life of trouble for Russell.
Answering the questions of his fans on his YouTube livestream, Windsor assessed the ongoing situation at Mercedes. With a vacancy for 2025, the Silver Arrows have two solid options in Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Sainz to fill the void. Given Sainz’s experience, the chances of him coming on board at Mercedes are significantly high.
Furthermore, if Sainz could rack up a couple of wins in 2024, he would make himself an even more lucrative target. Meanwhile, Russell hasn’t had the best of luck off late, which was also on display in Miami. Thus, Windsor speculates Sainz could be a Mercedes driver soon, inviting more problems for George Russell.
Additionally, Windsor also pointed out the potential internal struggle for Russell amid Ferrari’s choice of Hamilton over him.
Given the consistent struggles of Mercedes and the relatively young age of the British driver, Ferrari not considering him for the role must not have sat well with Russell. Amid all this, even if Mercedes were to opt for Antonelli over Sainz, Russell’s seat might not be too safe.
Ever since the departure of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes and Toto Wolff have been trying their best to somehow lure Max Verstappen into joining them. Should the move happen, the bells of danger would start to ring for George Russell.
The 26-year-old is currently contracted with Mercedes until the end of 2025. Should Verstappen make an unexpected switch to Mercedes next year, he could pair up with Russell for one year.
In that scenario, Russell could be out of a driving seat in 2026, given Mercedes is highly inclined towards promoting Antonelli. Should Verstappen not jump ships in 2025, Russell and Antonelli are a potential partnership for the season.
But again, Verstappen could come to Brackley in 2026, and Russell would be the one to make way for him. Amid all the hubbub, the only chance Russell has of saving his driving seat is to prove to Mercedes he is an irreplaceable driver, and the showing has to start as early as Imola next week.
