2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button has advised Mercedes against letting George Russell go amid the team’s ongoing pursuit of Max Verstappen.
The last few weeks have seen rumours ramp up that Verstappen could partner up with Mercedes from 2026 onwards.
Reports have even suggested that the Dutchman has penned a long-term deal with the German marque after an alleged closed-door meeting with Team Principal Toto Wolff in Sardinia.
And while no concrete news has emerged from either camp, the less-than-ideal history between the four-time World Champion and Silver Arrows’ incumbent Russell leads to a consensus that it will be the Briton who will have to make way if Verstappen decides to take Wolff up on his offer.
That said, Button strongly believes that letting the four-time Grand Prix winner leave would be a “strange move” from the eight-time Constructors’ Champions.
“It’s a tough one on George, because George is at the top of his game,” he told the Chris Moyles Show on Radio X.
“I think he’s been so competitive. When you see what he did against Lewis [Hamilton] in the last few years, he is World Championship material.
“So, to replace him with Max, it just seems like a strange move.”
Wolff has also recently given Andrea Kimi Antonelli his big break in F1 at the ripe age of 18.
And with a substantial amount of investment having gone into the Italian racing driver, it doesn’t seem likely that the Austrian would offload him to bring in Verstappen.
Hence, while all fingers point towards Russell, Button urges the team to pair the duo up instead.
“I know they’ve got the young Kimi Antonelli, who’s 18, who could be a future star. But we still don’t know that,” he deliberated.
“Whereas George is there, he is good, and you need two very competitive drivers with this new era of the sport.
“Next year, obviously lots of regulation changes, car change, engine change. So, for me, George and Max would be a better line-up. I would love to see it!”
Why Verstappen to Mercedes could be set up for failure
A potential move away from Red Bull for Verstappen has matured out of the Milton Keynes-based team’s tumbling form since midway last season.
With the 2026 engine regulations kicking in from next season, Verstappen might have hitched his wagon to the promise of the Silver Arrows nailing the new engine rules.
But Button believes that this move could trigger a further downward spiral in Verstappen’s fortunes, referencing the suggestions that while the Red Bull cars have been tricky to drive, they have been built specifically around Verstappen’s driving style.
“It’s a tricky one for Max, because he’s in a position where he’s doing so well with Red Bull – they’ve given him so much over the years,” he explained.
“They’ve designed this car around him, and he’s extremely good at it. Nobody can match him in that car. They’re so far off him. I mean, him qualifying third or fourth, and them qualifying 18th.
“If he goes to Mercedes, it’s a different thing altogether. You know, that car is not going to be designed around him. So, is it going to work for him? I don’t know.
“I mean, the best in the world should be able to make that work for him.”
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