P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell is still without a seat on the 2026 Formula 1 grid, with a certain rival of his appearing to be the reason why!
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes that a potential partnership between Max Verstappen and George Russell would be “easy” due to his experiences managing Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. The discussions between Russell, Verstappen, and Wolff have delayed Russell’s contract extension with Mercedes, making Verstappen a candidate for a seat at the team. Wolff did not rule out the possibility of signing Verstappen during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. Despite Verstappen and Russell’s on-track incidents and past rivalry, Wolff sees no issue with having them as teammates, drawing from his experience with Hamilton and Rosberg. He emphasized that competition and pressure are integral to performance in Formula 1, and believes that a certain amount of pressure can enhance driver performance.
