‘Phenomenal’ £14.5m-a-year driver is ‘top’ of Red Bull’s list to replace Max Verstappen

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Red Bull are making contingency plans in case Max Verstappen leaves the team. The world champion is under contract until the end of 2028 but his future remains uncertain.

Verstappen is on course to win a fourth straight title with the Bulls this year. Lando Norris has been slowly reducing his lead, but he retains a 52-point advantage with six races (and three Sprints) remaining.

While performance is of course the most important factor, it may not be enough to convince Verstappen to commit long-term. The team’s trajectory is a concern.

They started the year with by far the best car on the grid, and now they’re on an eight-race winless streak. The timing of Adrian Newey’s resignation may not be coincidental.

Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley is also leaving to head up the Audi team. The war of words between Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner speaks to the division within the ranks.

Mercedes are the favourites to sign Verstappen should become available. But Aston Martin will need a successor for Fernando Alonso and they hope to reunite the Dutchman with Newey.

Red Bull could prioritise George Russell if they lose Max Verstappen to Mercedes

Mercedes are seemingly prepared to part with either George Russell or the newly signed Kimi Antonelli if they have the chance to sign Verstappen. According to BBC Sport’s Andrew Benson, Toto Wolff expects the former to have a natural edge over the rookie next year.

But it’s also hard to believe that Wolff would ‘give up’ on Antonelli, a driver he’s ‘nurtured’ for the past seven years, after a single season. This puts Russell in danger.

The 26-year-old is expected to attract interest from numerous teams should Mercedes replace him. He would be ‘right at the top’ of Red Bull’s list, potentially set up an inadvertent driver swap.

Russell signed a new deal in 2023 but it expires at the end of next season. Based on Spotrac figures, he earns around £14.5m a year at present.

What Christian Horner has said about Red Bull signing George Russell

Russell has showcased his ‘phenomenal’ talent ever since his days at Williams, Ruth Buscombe, formerly a strategist for a rival team, said recently. Most memorably, he scored a podium at the heavily disrupted Belgian GP in 2021 after an inspired qualifying lap in the rain.

His graduation to Mercedes quickly looked like an inevitability. He had to wait until 2022 to replace Valtteri Bottas but instantly beat seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

While Hamilton struck back last year, Russell has arguably been the faster of the two in 2024. He’s already won the qualifying head-to-head (13-5) and he’s also 10-5 up in the races, though he remains 19 points behind in the championship.

Christian Horner is keen on Russell and publicly declared his interest in Singapore. He says it would be ‘foolish’ for Red Bull not to take note of his contract situation, which may mark the start of a long-running story.