Mercedes warned Russell call could return to haunt the team

Speaking on the MontoyAS podcast, the Colombian believes the team was wrong to move Russell aside for his teammate, even if the decision appeared logical at the time given their respective pace. In his view, Mercedes did not expect Russell to be capable of keeping Hamilton behind and therefore anticipated that he would eventually drop to fourth anyway. His subsequent defensive drive, however, led Montoya to suggest the team may have regretted making the call.

Montoya believes Russell's performance should leave Mercedes questioning whether the team order was ultimately necessary. He also suggested that the situation is something Russell should remember, with Mercedes potentially owing him a favour later in the season.

Juan Pablo Montoya is not the only former F1 figure to have raised concerns over George Russell's current position at Mercedes. Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has also questioned how the dynamic between Russell and Kimi Antonelli could develop as the Italian's influence within the team continues to grow.

Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, Steiner admitted that the situation increasingly resembles the dynamic Mercedes once had between Hamilton and Bottas. However, he stressed that Russell ultimately has some control over whether he is willing to accept such a position or pursue opportunities elsewhere.