Russell Says Verstappen’s Lack of Complaints Stems From Winning, Yet He’d Understand a Possible Exit

George Russell explained that Max Verstappen hasn’t echoed the grievances of his rivals about the latest generation of Formula 1 cars because the Dutch champion has been winning, but he also said he could see why Verstappen might consider stepping away from the sport. Russell noted that Verstappen’s future beyond the current season remains unclear, especially after the Red Bull driver has become an outspoken critic of the new 2026 technical regulations and the 50‑50 split between internal‑combustion and electric power that has reshaped how the cars behave on track. Verstappen hinted more strongly than ever that he is weighing the option of quitting after this year, a suggestion that emerged after the Japanese Grand Prix last month.

During a Mercedes media day held during Formula 1’s five‑week hiatus, ahead of the Miami round scheduled for May 1‑3, Russell was asked whether he thought Verstappen’s departure was likely and how the sport would cope if the four‑time world champion walked away. "Formula 1 is bigger than any driver," Russell answered. "You wouldn’t want to lose Max because we all love racing against him." He went on to compare his own experience in the 2022 car, which suffered from severe porpoising, to Verstappen’s situation.

"I didn’t enjoy driving the ’22 car when it was porpoising up and down, killing everybody’s backs. The car was heavy, the high‑speed corners were brutal, and it wasn’t pleasant to drive, but Max didn’t have that complaint because he was winning," he said. Russell added that Verstappen’s current complaints differ from those of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren because the Red Bull driver sits at the front of the grid.

"That’s natural," Russell explained, "and you can understand the frustration when you’re constantly fighting for podiums while the rest of the field is still catching up." He reminded listeners that Verstappen has already achieved what most drivers only dream of – four world championships – and that, in his view, there is little left for the Dutchman to prove in Formula 1. "He’s ticked all the boxes.

Maybe he’ll chase records, but the hunger for new challenges is understandable." Russell, who is chasing his first drivers’ title with Mercedes as the sport moves into a new era, said he can "totally understand" why Verstappen is drawn to GT‑3 endurance racing at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, a venue the champion will visit again this weekend. "Knowing him and other drivers who have reached similar milestones, at some point you want to do what puts a smile on your face," Russell said. He admitted he has spent countless hours on the Nordschleife simulator and would love the chance to race there himself. "My goal right now is to become a Formula 1 world champion," Russell continued.

"If I had four titles under my belt, I’d probably be looking at the same thing Verstappen is doing now. He’s at a very different stage of his career, and I think everyone would understand whether he stays or leaves." After the Suzuka race, Verstappen said he can "easily accept being in P7 or P8," but added that being in those positions without enjoying the car’s performance feels unnatural for a racing driver.

While Red Bull appear unlikely to challenge for the championship this year, Mercedes have reinforced their status as pre‑season favourites by winning the first three Grands Prix of the new regulation era. The mandatory April break gave all teams time to return to their factories and develop their cars further. Russell, who fell behind his teammate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ standings after Japan, does not expect a dramatic reshuffle of the order when the series returns in Miami, but he acknowledges that Mercedes’ early‑season advantage cannot last forever with 19 races still to run.

Reflecting on the opening rounds, during which Mercedes secured one win and Antonelli claimed two, Russell said: "We definitely hit the ground running in the first three races, and you could see that with the power‑unit manufacturers – at least us and Ferrari – we as the factory team have a better grasp of energy management than the customer teams. That’s only fair because we have hundreds of people working on it, and we’ve been developing the simulator for three years now." He noted that the performance gap observed in Melbourne has already narrowed and expects all teams to improve race by race. "The field will slowly bunch up, but I don’t think we’ll see any sudden, drastic changes.

I also don’t expect our major pace advantage to continue indefinitely – the others will be hot on our heels," he said. Currently, Antonelli leads Russell by nine points at the top of the Drivers’ Championship, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc 23 points further back in third place. Formula 1 returns on May 1‑3 for the Miami Grand Prix, which will also host the season’s second Sprint weekend, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. The race can be streamed via Sky Sports with NOW, without a contract and cancellable at any time.