APEX RACEWIRE Newsroom
Russell: Verstappen Was Close to Joining Mercedes
George Russell has confirmed that a move by Max Verstappen to the Mercedes Formula 1 team was remarkably concrete in the past.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-07-17T10:20:00.000Z - 1 min read
George Russell, himself a prominent Mercedes driver, recently brought a notable moment from Formula 1 history back into focus. He indicated that Max Verstappen, before securing his current success, was once surprisingly close to joining the German team.
The British driver revealed that he was personally aware of the serious discussions taking place at the time. His brief but telling response, 'I knew that,' underlined his insight into the situation surrounding the Dutch world champion.
The prospect of Verstappen in a silver arrow, perhaps hard to imagine now given his dominant position at Red Bull Racing, was a realistic possibility at the time. Such a shift would have significantly altered the balance of power and the course of the sport.
This paddock revelation sheds new light on Verstappen's earlier career choices. It demonstrates how crucial decisions and unexercised options can shape a driver's path to the top.