Brundle chases down answers from Horner over 'nervous' Verstappen claims

Speaking to Sky Sports, former F1 driver Martin Brundle opined George Russell was being treated unfairly by Mercedes and its team principal and CEO Toto Wolff, amid the openly expressed interest in poaching Verstappen over from Red Bull.

There are several factors that could potentially upend the move, one of them being the Dutchman's contract with Red Bull Racing which expires in 2028. Brundle stated his intention to press Horner for answers in that regard.

"In fact, we're going to ask Christian [Horner] after FP1, 'Is there any way that Max can actually get out of his Red Bull contract?'," the F1 commentator said.

Next season F1 is set to premiere a new set of regulations surrounding the chassis, an area where Red Bull have dropped the ball on considerably following sensible deparrtures from the team like Adrian Newey (Aston Martin) and Rob Marshall (McLaren).

But also the engine, an as of yet uncharted territory for the team led by Horner. Certainly the chances of success at their first try seem slim at best, taking into acccount the storied history of well-known and reputable manufacturers that have tried to dip their toes in F1 to find not only little success, but resounding failure as well.

Brundle believes that Verstappen could indeed have reasons to be nervous regarding the mammoth undertaking the Austrian team are facing and highlights that the Dutchman will need nothing short of a crystal ball in order to make the right decision on his future.

"What it'll be, if ever you needed a crystal ball and we tried to get them when we were drivers, if ever it's gonna be more opaque, it's now. Because next season, new chassis, new engine, Red Bull are debutantes making their own engines. That's a big, tall order. And I'm sure Max has got some nervousness," the former F1 driver concluded.