Helmut Marko has hit back at George Russell after the Mercedes driver weighed in on speculation surrounding Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future, brushing off the remarks as part of a “theoretical game.”
The 27-year-old sparked intrigue on Thursday when he revealed that Verstappen is a factor in his ongoing contract talks with Mercedes.
Russell is entering the final year of his current deal, with the Dutchman reportedly on the Silver Arrows’ radar as a potential future option.
The key question remains whether Verstappen would genuinely consider leaving Red Bull — despite being under contract until the end of the 2028 season — either due to this season’s struggles or doubts over the team’s prospects under the 2026 regulation overhaul.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff refused to deny that the German squad has held talks with the reigning World Champion.
He has made no secret of his interest in bringing Verstappen to Mercedes, but ultimately moved to promote Andrea Kimi Antonelli for 2025 when no serious discussions materialised.
However, the continued speculation surrounding the Red Bull star has clearly irritated Marko, who was asked about the situation after FP2 in Austria.
When asked about Russell’s recent remarks, Red Bull’s technical advisor couldn’t hide his exasperation.
“What’s up with him now?” he sighed. After the comments were clarified, Marko added dryly: “Russell does talk, but I thought he had a fixed contract for next year.”
Taking a pointed swipe at the British driver fresh off his Canadian Grand Prix win, Marko remarked: “That must have changed since Montreal. Did his victory hurt him?”
Uninterested in engaging with Russell’s claims, Marko dismissed them outright: “Well, I have no opinion on that. Russell says so much.”
On the motives behind his statements, Marko was blunt: “It’s just a theoretical game.”
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