George Russell has said he would “understand” if Max Verstappen left F1 at the end of the 2026 season.
During a media call today (17 April), the Mercedes driver gave his opinion on Verstappen’s recent comments that he may leave the sport due to the new engine regulations brought in this year.
The four-time World Champion expressed that he has struggled to enjoy the races so far, calling the new regulations “anti-driving” and suggesting that the busy 24-race schedule is too demanding.
Russell: Verstappen “didn’t have the same complaints” when he was winning
Asked whether he thinks F1 can “survive” without Verstappen, Russell suggested that the Red Bull driver is only frustrated because he is no longer winning races.
“Formula 1 is bigger than any driver,” he said. “You wouldn’t want to lose Max because I think we all enjoy racing against Max and it’s just part and parcel of Formula 1.
“I didn’t enjoy driving the [2022] car when it was porpoising up and down, killing everybody’s backs. The car was big, it was heavy, the high speed corners, it wasn’t very pleasant to drive around, but he didn’t have the same complaint because he was winning.”
Russell stated that while he understands Verstappen’s frustration, it will be a matter of time before he moves on from F1, having achieved what most drivers aim for.
“Now the complaints that he has currently are different to the complaints of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren because we’re at the front end of the grid and this is only natural and you do understand and recognise the frustration. But he’s achieved what most drivers dream of, which is winning a championship.
“He’s got four of them, and at the end of the day I guess you get to a point in life that […] there’s not really much more for him to achieve in Formula 1. He’s ticked all the boxes, maybe he can go after the records. But knowing him as I do, and knowing drivers who have won or achieved similar things, at one point you want to do what puts a smile on your face.”
Russell: My goal now is to become World Champion
Since winning his F1 World Championships, Verstappen has shown interest in other racing series, having made his GT3 debut last year. Last month, it was confirmed the Dutch driver will compete in the Nürburgring 24-Hours endurance race this weekend – something he labelled as a “bucket list” event.
Russell went on to say that this is something he would also be keen to take part in if his focus wasn’t on winning an F1 World Championship. He suggested that it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Verstappen left the sport to pursue other such endeavours.
“I can totally understand why driving the Nordschleife puts a smile on his face,” said Russell. “I’ve driven hundreds of laps around the Nordschleife on the simulator and I would love to have that chance to go and race around the Nordschleife but my goal now is to become a Formula 1 World Champion. If I had four of them under my belt I’d probably be doing the same.
“So he’s in a very different stage of his career and I think you’d understand if he stayed and you’d understand if he went.”
