Max Verstappen: George Russell says his Mercedes seat 'never felt under threat' from Red Bull driver before contract announcement
Max Verstappen ended speculation over his future by signing a contract extension with Red Bull; the Dutchman had been linked with Mercedes and McLaren; watch Dutch Grand Prix practice live on Sky Sports F1 at 11.30am on Friday, with Sprint Qualifying following at 3.30pm
Thursday 20 August 2026 14:41, UK
George Russell says his Mercedes seat "never felt under threat" from Max Verstappen before the Dutchman ended speculation over his future by signing a contract extension with Red Bull.
Verstappen has been repeatedly linked with Mercedes since soon after Lewis Hamilton announced in February 2024 that he was leaving the Silver Arrows to join Ferrari the following year.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff initially appeared to be targeting Verstappen as a team-mate for Russell, but more recently the four-time world champion had been touted as a replacement for the Brit given the fine form that has taken his team-mate Kimi Antonelli top of the Drivers' Championship.
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Following Red Bull's announcement on Thursday, ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, that Verstappen has signed with the team until 2030, Russell suggested Mercedes' talks with the Dutchman's camps over the last couple of years may have been overblown.
Russell said: "It's only really a topic for us when we're sat in front of you guys in the press and you want to ask these questions and understand what's going on.
"It was always very clear from within Mercedes what the reality was over these past couple of years.
"Maybe those conversations were slightly more public than the conversations his team were having with the likes of McLaren, or Ferrari, or whoever else it may have been.
"That's the just the nature of the sport. Drivers talk with different teams, teams talk with different drivers. Everyone has to just see what their cards are.
"But my seat never felt under threat, and I felt 100 per cent security with Toto and the team, and that obviously now continues."
Norris: Would be cool to have Max as a team-mate one day
Reigning world champion Lando Norris reiterated that he would have welcomed Verstappen as his team-mate at McLaren had the Dutchman joined the reigning constructors' champions.
McLaren emerged as a possible alternative for Verstappen when it was revealed earlier this summer that the Woking squad had held talks with his camp.
The possibility of the switch also appeared to be made more plausible by the fact the Red Bull colleague he works most closely with, his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, has agreed to join McLaren.
Norris' status as reigning world champion led most to assume it would be his team-mate Oscar Piastri who would have made way for Verstappen if the move had happened.
"I never heard much more than what you guys did," Norris said.
"I welcome anyone to be my team-mate.
"Of course, a guy who has won as many world championships as he has, a guy who is as talented him would always be cool to have as a team-mate one day.
"But I know Oscar's my team-mate for still quite a while yet, I know nothing is changing."
Sky Sports F1's live Dutch GP schedule
Thursday August 20
1pm: Drivers' Press Conference
4pm: Paddock Uncut
Friday August 21
11am: Dutch GP Practice (session starts at 11.30am)
12.55pm: F1 Academy Practice
2.30pm: Team Bosses' Press Conference
3pm: Dutch GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 3.30pm)
Saturday August 22
8.15am: F1 Academy Qualifying
10am: Dutch GP Sprint build-up
11am: DUTCH GP SPRINT*
1.30pm: F1 Academy Race 1
2.20pm: Dutch GP Qualifying build-up*
3pm: DUTCH GP QUALIFYING*
5pm: Porsche Supercup Race 1
Sunday August 23
9.35am: F1 Academy Race 2
10.50am: Porsche Supercup Race 2
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Dutch GP build-up
2pm: THE DUTCH GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Dutch GP reaction
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
The Formula 1 season resumes after the summer break with a Sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from Friday, with every session live on Sky Sports. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime
