George Russell should be worried about Max Verstappen as new Kimi Antonelli contract detail emerges

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George Russell has started the 2026 F1 season as the driver to beat, but he should be worried that Mercedes could try again to sign Max Verstappen given Red Bull’s woes.

The first two rounds of the campaign have seen Russell live up to his pre-season tag as the favourite to win the 2026 F1 drivers’ title. Mercedes saw the 28-year-old win the Australian Grand Prix and the F1 Sprint in Shanghai, along with securing P2 in the Chinese Grand Prix.

But while Russell leads the F1 drivers’ standings ahead of teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the threat of Mercedes moving to sign Verstappen of Red Bull hangs over the Briton. Team boss Toto Wolff failed to sign Verstappen last year as he could not trigger his release clause.

Wolff admitted he spoke with Verstappen’s manager in 2025, as Russell and Antonelli were both out of contract. But the four-time champion had to rank fourth or lower in the drivers’ standings by the summer break to have the right to end his Red Bull contract through 2028.

Would Max Verstappen be complaining about F1’s 2026 regulations if he had joined Mercedes?

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George Russell should be worried as Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes contract runs through 2029

Verstappen only has to rank third or lower in the drivers’ standings in the summer of 2026 to have the right to break out of his contract at Red Bull early, however. And Russell should be worried that Wolff will swoop after Verstappen’s torrid Chinese GP proved Red Bull’s issues.

READ MORE: The best moments of George Russell’s career in Formula 1

Red Bull are struggling to find the right set-up to give Verstappen a stable car, with the RB22 suffering from an inherent lack of downforce. If their problems persist, the Dutchman might not wait long to jump ship and secure a car that he believes will fight for the F1 title in 2027.

And if Mercedes have to choose which driver Verstappen replaces, it appears that Russell is the first option on Wolff’s chopping block. While Russell only agreed to a one-plus-one-year contract to stay at Mercedes for 2026, Blick reports that Antonelli is locked in through 2029.

Mercedes firmly see Antonelli, who scored his debut F1 Grand Prix win in China last Sunday, as their future. So, when it came to discussing the Italian’s new contract last year, Mercedes tied Antonelli up through 2029. Russell must hit performance-based clauses to stay in 2027.

George Russell may have to hit his contract performance clauses to stay at Mercedes in 2027

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It is not known what performance-based clauses Russell has to hit to activate the automatic one-year extension to his Mercedes contract. Yet even after living up to being the 2026 title favourite, he should be worried that Wolff may have an eye on signing Verstappen for 2027.

Russell admitted that the constant talk about Mercedes exploring a move to sign Verstappen last year was distracting. He also claimed in December that he felt a little “unappreciated” at times, as Wolff’s pursuit of Verstappen ultimately delayed Mercedes giving him a fresh deal.

Karun Chandhok also stated in December that Russell realised that Wolff prefers Verstappen and Antonelli last year, as the Mercedes boss explored a move for the Red Bull racer despite the Briton doing “everything right”. So, Russell may have to hit his performance goals to stay.