Battle-ready Russell is prepared to face Verstappen at Mercedes

These are exciting times for George Russell. The British driver has an expiring contract with Mercedes and is unsure if he will be allowed to stay. Team principal Toto Wolff is eyeing Max Verstappen. Russell was asked about his future at Silverstone.

It's the talk of the town in Formula 1 and hence for the British Grand Prix, too: Will Russell stay at Mercedes or will Max Verstappen replace him? It became clear last week that Verstappen prefers staying with Red Bull, but there exists a scenario where he might leave. In that case, Mercedes is the logical destination.

Although the German racing team has two spots open for '26, Russell - with the arrival of Verstappen - seems to be the one who has to leave. Understandably, the media asked Russell once again about his future ahead of the race in Silverstone.

To the media, including GPblog, Russell said: "I have quite a thick skin and I don't really read much news or listen to rumors. I just focus on the facts and on driving. I said it at the start of the year: you can have a contract, but if you don't perform, you're out,” the Brit concludes.

Russell states he is not in talks with any other team for 2026. It's Mercedes or bust for now. The possibility of Verstappen causing him to be without a seat does not make Russell fear the worst.

Therefore, Russell says: “For me, there's nothing to worry about, because I don't think I'm going anywhere and whoever my teammate is, I don't care. So I just focus on driving.”