Verstappen to Mercedes: Is Russell the ideal successor at Red Bull?

At first glance, George Russell and Red Bull Racing don't seem like a perfect match. Red Bull Racing often seeks out outspoken characters who fit with the image of the energy drink. Young, fast, and outspoken talent. While Russell can be credited for his speed, he is definitely not outspoken.

However, for Red Bull there seems to be no other option for 2026. This might sound strange, but the top team is not attractive to all drivers. Many drivers are already contracted for 2026 and guys like Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz have committed to Williams. They won't be making the switch now.

Around Red Bull there are a lot of question marks due to the new engine. Can Red Bull keep up with Ferrari and Mercedes when it comes to engine development? Additionally, without Adrian Newey, the technical team hasn't been able to make strides in 2024 and 2025.

However, should Verstappen leave, Red Bull would want to have a strong benchmark in the car. Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad as the two main team drivers would be too much. In addition, this would create a problem with Racing Bulls, where only Liam Lawson would remain.

Red Bull seems to be grooming Arvid Lindblad for a debut at Red Bull Racing in 2026. For this young, British talent, Red Bull needs an experienced benchmark to strive for. If Verstappen departs, Russell would be the ideal man to place next to Lindblad.

This would give Red Bull one of the fastest drivers on the grid to replace Verstappen with, hoping that Lindblad will be the star of the future. Meanwhile, at Racing Bulls they can continue to train talent, with Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson in the team.

For Red Bull this seems like the best option, but is it too for Russell? He mentioned in Silverstone that he was not in talks with other teams. He completely trusted in a seat at Mercedes. If this doesn't happen because of Max Verstappen, he too will have to look elsewhere.

Just like Red Bull, Russell seems to have few other options. Most teams already have two drivers, leaving few other options besides Red Bull. Only Alpine and Cadillac have a vacancy for the Brit in 2026.

Alpine might sound interesting with the Mercedes engines, but the team has been experiencing internal strife for years. Even the arrival of Flavio Briatore hasn't changed that. Additionally, the French team's facilities and staff are nowhere near the level of the top teams. They may get a good engine, but the chances of Alpine beating both Mercedes and McLaren with the same power unit seem very small.

Cadillac will certainly be monitoring developments around Russell. The Americans have two seats available and would cause a commotion by bringing in Russell. However, Russell is still too young and too fast to step into such a young team as Cadillac now. That project is going to take a lot of time, while Russell has now proven he can win.

Russell and Red Bull therefore appear to be simply dependent on each other. For both parties, there is no better option than to team up. Russell can only hope that Red Bull has the engine and car in good shape by 2026, while Red Bull will hope that Russell isn't much slower than Verstappen.