P1racenews AI automatic summary:
“Perhaps this hesitation is now his way of getting revenge, by not having made an official decision yet.”
Red Bull F1 advisor Helmut Marko implied that George Russell’s reluctance to sign a new Mercedes contract could be a way of expressing ‘revenge’ for being kept waiting before. Mercedes has not yet announced their driver line-up for the upcoming season, with negotiations ongoing with Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Although Mercedes considered signing Max Verstappen from Red Bull, he confirmed his future remains with the current team. Marko believes Mercedes’ delay in announcing Russell may be due to salary negotiations and potentially a hesitation from Russell. Red Bull also needs to decide on Verstappen’s teammate for 2026, with Isack Hadjar being a likely candidate after a strong debut season. Marko set a deadline for Red Bull’s decision by the end of October, preferring to have it before Mexico to assess other drivers’ performances, stating confidence in Hadjar’s ability to compete with Verstappen.
