George Russell remains unfazed about potentially losing his Mercedes seat in 2026, despite rumours swirling about a possible 'shootout' for the spot with young driver Kimi Antonelli.
The recent Red Bull internal disputes have led to high-profile departures, including design genius Adrian Newey, all amid a noticeable drop in performance. Max Verstappen's father, Jos, has distanced himself from team principal Christian Horner, adding further fuel to the chaos at Red Bull.
Toto Wolff has been vocal about wanting Max Verstappen to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton for 2025, but with Verstappen stuck in his contract at least until 2026, that plan may have to wait.
Many believe that 2025 could therefore be a crucial year, with perhaps only one Mercedes seat up for grabs for 2026, sparking speculation of a shootout between Russell and Antonelli, Wolff's up-and-coming protege who will be paired with Russell next year.
However, Russell has brushed off the speculation.
"It will be great at Mercedes in 2026," Russell said. "Nothing has been signed for the future yet, but it is not something I am really thinking about."
Verstappen could actually be tempted by Aston Martin for 2026, as it appears that Adrian Newey is definitely set to join the Silverstone based team, which will also switch to works Honda power.
Despite this, Mercedes' technical director James Allison is optimistic about the Brackley based team's preparations for the new engine regulations in 2026.
"I wasn't in the team in the run-up to 2014, when the new generation of engines was being developed," he told DAZN, "but those who were tell me the feeling is very similar now."
Russell, now 26, shares Allison's optimism.
"Mercedes is going to be a great place to be, especially with the engines," Russell said. "But there are other teams with a Mercedes engine too, so we can't be overconfident just because we think we're going to have a fast engine.
"McLaren will have a fast engine and Williams will have a fast engine. I don't even see McLaren as a customer team, because everything is the same. They are their own team with the same engine. And as it stands, they are doing better than us right now."
