Mercedes driver George Russell has held talks with Christian Horner over a potential switch to Red Bull Racing for the F1 2026 season, it has been claimed.

It comes amid persistent speculation over the future of Red Bull’s star driver Max Verstappen, the reigning four-time World Champion.

George Russell holds ‘informal talks’ with Christian Horner over Red Bull move

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Russell has enjoyed his best-ever start to a season in F1 2025, collecting podium finishes at three of the opening five races in Australia, China and Bahrain.

It is understood that Russell’s current Mercedes contract is due to expire at the end of this season, raising doubts over the British driver’s future with the Brackley-based team.

A report in Italy last week claimed that Russell has been making progress towards landing an extension to his Mercedes deal for F1 2026 and beyond.

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However, PlanetF1.com understands from sources close to the situation that Russell’s contract status has not changed since the start of the new season.

With his place at Mercedes uncertain, Russell has been spotted meeting a number of rival teams over recent weeks.

After a public conversation with McLaren bosses Zak Brown and Andrea Stella in the paddock at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Russell was spotted embracing Flavio Briatore, the executive adviser of the Alpine team, at the following race in China a week later.

And it has been suggested that Russell has also held tentative negotiations with Horner with a view to a potential switch to Red Bull.

A report by The Race has claimed that Russell and Horner ‘have had some informal chats over recent weeks’ with the pair gaining an understanding of each other’s situations.

It is said that talks have not yet progressed to serious negotiations over a contract for the F1 2026 season.

The suggestion of talks with Horner has raised the possibility of a sensational seat swap between Russell and Verstappen, with the latter becoming Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s new team-mate at Mercedes and Russell heading in the opposite direction.

Speaking at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, Horner hinted that Russell could emerge as a target for Red Bull for F1 2026, remarking that “it would be foolish not to take that into consideration” with Russell nearing the conclusion of his Mercedes contract.

Talk of a move for Russell was swiftly cooled by Helmut Marko, the long-serving Red Bull adviser, who insisted that the team would rather remain faithful to their traditional policy of promoting drivers from within rather than make an external signing.

Alex Albon, the current Williams driver who spent 18 months as Verstappen’s team-mate across 2019/20, is known to still have admirers at Red Bull.

The Thai driver was briefly linked with a return to Red Bull for F1 2026 before signing a new long-term contract with Williams last May.

It is not out of the question that the Milton Keynes-based outfit could renew their longstanding interest in Lando Norris, who agreed a long-term extension to his McLaren deal last January, in the event of losing Verstappen at the end of F1 2025.

Norris has been frequently linked with Red Bull over the course of his F1 career, with a respected F1 reporter claiming last year that the McLaren driver has turned down the offer of a Red Bull seat on at least one occasion over recent years.

A move to Red Bull for Norris would open the door for Russell to join McLaren, with fellow Mercedes customers Alpine also a potential option if the latter loses his seat to Verstappen.

Russell previously raced for Hitech GP, the junior racing team founded by current Alpine F1 team principal Oliver Oakes, in FIA Formula 3 in 2016.

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Despite being officially under contract until the end of the F1 2028 campaign, Verstappen has been frequently linked with a move away from Red Bull over the last 12 months in light of the team’s competitive decline.

Horner confirmed to media including PlanetF1.com at last year’s Dutch Grand Prix that Verstappen’s contract contains a “performance element” potentially allowing him to leave Red Bull before 2028.

It has been speculated that the 27-year-old will be free to trigger an exit clause if he is lower than third in the Drivers’ standings after a significant portion of the F1 2025 season.

If true, this would appear to mirror an arrangement widely reported to have been inserted into at least one of Verstappen’s previous Red Bull deals.

Mercedes have been most consistently linked with a bid for Verstappen since last year, with team boss Toto Wolff making no secret of his desire to sign the World Champion following the announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s shock switch to Ferrari.

Aston Martin have also emerged as a potential alternative destination following the signing of F1 design guru Adrian Newey, who played an instrumental role in Verstappen’s recent success with Red Bull, last year.

The Silverstone-based team will also enter a technical partnership with Honda, Red Bull’s engine suppliers since 2019, in time for the major F1 2026 regulation changes.

Rumours ahead of last weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix suggested that Aston Martin are preparing an eye-watering bid worth $300 million to tempt Verstappen away from Red Bull for F1 2026.

In a statement provided to PlanetF1.com, however, the team insisted that they remain fully committed to their current driver lineup of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who both remain under contract until at least the end of next season.

An Aston Martin spokesperson said: “It’s normal for the media to speculate on driver market, but we have an amazing driver lineup that we are committed to and who are under contract for 2026 and beyond.

“Our focus is on delivering for our drivers by giving them a more consistent and competitive car.

“When we do, they are both capable of delivering great results.”

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