- Mercedes team principal criticised his Red Bull colleague Christian Horner
- Horner had stated that Red Bull would be interested in signing George Russell
- The 26-year-old currently has a contract with Mercedes until the end of next year
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has criticised fellow Red Bull driver Christian Horner for “shattering the house” and suggested Mercedes are considering hiring George Russell for a future place in their team.
Russell is currently in his third season driving a Mercedes and sees his ambitions to become world champion challenged by the problems the garage experienced during his career at the sport’s former dominant team.
The 26-year-old defended brilliantly at the end of last weekend’s Singapore GP to hold off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to finish fourth and is a name being considered within the Red Bull camp.
The championship-leading team is struggling to secure a fourth consecutive world title for Max Verstappen and could soon replace Sergio Perez.
Russell’s current contract expires at the end of next year’s Formula 1 season. Given his capabilities, Horner says it would be “stupid” for Red Bull not to consider the Briton.
Toto Wolff is adamant that George Russell (pictured) will remain a Mercedes driver
Mercedes team boss Wolff (right) has criticised Christian Horner (left) after he stated that Red Bull could take over Russell in the future
Russell defended brilliantly to take fourth place in the weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix
“We have a gap now but we just want to take the time to think about what those options look like going forward,” Horner said during qualifying in Singapore.
“We’re not afraid to get out of the pool. George Russell is out of contract at the end of next year and we’d be foolish not to consider that,” he added.
Now Wolff, who had a troubled relationship with Horner during their rivalry, has hit back at Red Bull’s comments and criticised his rival’s team principal for ‘stirring things up’.
The 52-year-old also sought to put an end to any speculation surrounding Russell’s place at Mercedes, adding: ‘I think he [Horner] is always stirring up nonsense, it’s part of the game.
‘George is a Mercedes driver and has been for a long time and hopefully he will remain so. We have a long contract with him.’
Russell will be the best driver at Mercedes next season. Teammate Lewis Hamilton previously announced that he has signed a two-year contract with Ferrari.
Russell is currently contracted to Mercedes until the end of next season and can choose to leave or extend his stay
Russell will be Mercedes’ lead driver next season as Lewis Hamilton (left) moves to Ferrari
Mercedes currently sits fourth in the overall Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship standings and has just six races left to catch Ferrari.
18-year-old rising star Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace Hamilton as Russell’s new teammate at Mercedes next year.