Why George Russell can now breathe easy thanks to Max Verstappen

This decision will be met by George Russell with glee and open arms. In the rumours that pointed to Verstappen jumping the ship at Red Bull Racing to go to Mercedes, the Briton would have been the odd man out, with the German team betting instead for Andrea Kimi Antonelli's potential.

However, with Verstappen throwing in his luck with Red Bull, Russell's contract renewal at Mercedes should not take long to be announced.

Had the Dutchman decided otherwise instead, for instance, to go to Mercedes, then Russell's F1 future would've been upended.

Ferrari and McLaren all have their drivers confirmed for next season, with Lewis Hamilton's seat being the drive that would be available the quickest in 2026.

At Red Bull Racing, the philosophy of the team, the 'forever rebels', and Russell's persona might've clashed, making the relations not as easy as they might otherwise have been.

With all the top teams discarded, all that would be then left for the Briton would've been a seat in a team whose sporting aspirations whilst high, would be an unknown.

With Aston Martin's line-up already sealed as well, with Fernando Alonso manning one of the cars, and Lance Stroll, son of team owner Lawrence Stroll, manning the other, there'd be no room for Russell at the Silverstone-based outfit.

Cadillac, though, still on the hunt for a top talent, having agreed with Valtteri Bottas, another Mercedes driver, in the terms for a collaboration for next year, could've been an option. But a driver who came up through Williams, landed at Mercedes and tasted F1 victories, would choose to take up a role at a new F1 team who is set to debut its own engines come 2028?

Cadillac's lofty ambitions are admirable, but success right out of the gate in F1 is simply unrealistic. The American team's development into a championship winning squad will not come overnight.

Thus, Verstappen's decision to remain with Red Bull Racing has spared George Russell from asking some very tough questions and facing even harder choices in what might have been the most trying time of his F1 tenure yet.