Christijan Albers now thinks George Russell ‘secretly’ wants one F1 driver to win the championship

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George Russell is one of the four remaining drivers who still have a chance of winning the Formula 1 title in 2025.

Obviously, he’s not a serious candidate, but he has been one of the best performers this season, and has been rewarded with a lucrative Mercedes contract for his efforts. His place at a top team is secure heading into the 2026 F1 regulations.

Russell knows that he has a real shot to be a contender next season, and leaving for a new team for long-term security might have been a waste of a good opportunity. For now, he must focus on helping his team finish second in the constructors’ championship over the next few races.

Mercedes could still sign Max Verstappen, but it looks as though they would prefer to drop Kimi Antonelli over Russell. He has scored nearly three times the points of his teammate in 2025. Toto Wolff has admitted a destabilising move for Russell and apologised to him. It’s something they could have avoided.

READ MORE: Jenson Button and Martin Brundle agree on George Russell’s 2026 title chances after new Mercedes contract

George Russell ‘secretly’ wants Max Verstappen to win the 2025 F1 title

Russell suspected Mercedes would drop him to make way for Verstappen, who is one of his biggest, if not his biggest rival in Formula 1. The two do not get along well, and their exchanges have been documented well through the years.

Martin Brundle highlighted Verstappen’s hypocrisy after he complained about a bold lunge from Russell during the United States Grand Prix sprint race. The Briton made a desperate dive, knowing that it might be his only chance to seize the lead of the race.

It backfired as both cars went off the circuit, and was another reminder that the gloves are always off in the fight between those two. If Red Bull start poorly in 2026, Russell has every reason to be worried about Verstappen taking his seat or becoming his teammate in the future.

Despite the history between the two, ex-Red Bull driver Christijan Albers believes that Russell still ‘secretly’ prefers Verstappen to win this year’s title over the McLaren drivers.

“Look, Verstappen and Russell might not get along,” he said. “But one thing Verstappen can be sure of is, of course, that Russell secretly prefers that he says, man, ‘I would rather have a Verstappen become world champion than a Norris.'”

READ MORE: Kimi Antonelli pinpoints his ‘darkest moment’ against George Russell in rookie F1 season at Mercedes

Why George Russell will have been disappointed after the United States Grand Prix

Russell finished sixth at the United States Grand Prix, which would have been a frustrating result after he managed second in the sprint.

For some reason, the pace just wasn’t there on Sunday, resulting in his worst finish at a race since the British Grand Prix back in July.

Just three times this season he has finished lower than fifth, which shows what consistency he has been able to provide as Mercedes’ team leader.

Russell wants to show the paddock his value and believes that he’s worth more than he is rated. If he maintains the same level of speed in 2026, he should be a true title contender.