Kimi Antonelli won’t like what George Russell just said about Max Verstappen being linked to Mercedes for 2026

The rumours surrounding Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull Racing won’t go away.

After finishing fourth at the Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is now 25 points behind Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ championship.

It’s the fourth time this season Verstappen has failed to finish on the podium, while Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has already given up on the constructors’ title.

For context, Verstappen recorded four non-podium finishes last year at the Hungarian Grand Prix, demonstrating how far Red Bull have fallen this season.

Verstappen’s contract runs until the end of 2028, but that hasn’t stopped people from speculating about his Formula 1 future.

Mercedes have been linked with Verstappen for years after Toto Wolff missed out on signing the Dutchman before he joined Red Bull.

With both George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli out of contract at the end of the year, it opens up the possibility of Verstappen making the switch if he suddenly decides he wants to quit Red Bull.

While that scenario seems unlikely, Russell has now had his say on how he’d feel if he was suddenly paired with the four-time world champion.

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George Russell open to Max Verstappen joining Mercedes next year

Russell was asked in an interview with Channel 4 ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix how he feels when he hears rumours of Verstappen joining Mercedes and explained: “Racing is pretty simple, be quick and you’re good. If you’re not quick, you’re in a difficult spot.

“But, at the end of the day, why wouldn’t a team want Max? He’s pretty decent and me and Max have obviously had a bit of a coming together in the past but I’ve always said I’d be open to being teammates with anybody, and that includes Max.”

Russell and Verstappen famously feuded at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix after the pair clashed in qualifying.

Both drivers and their team principals waded into the clash, but it appears as though all relationships have been mended enough for Russell to accept Verstappen at the Silver Arrows next year.

That could spell trouble for Antonelli, who has now recorded back-to-back pointless finishes for the first time in his F1 career.

While there was nothing he could have done about his engine failure at Imola, he made the one mistake no driver can afford to make in Monaco by crashing during qualifying.

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Max Verstappen and George Russell at the centre of Formula 1’s 2026 driver market

Antonelli finished last at the Monaco Grand Prix due to a combination of his poor starting position and being caught up in the team games happening ahead of him during the race.

He ended up finishing three laps down on Lando Norris and Peter Windsor spotted a worrying driving trait in Antonelli that he needs to iron out.

Mercedes’ lack of a strategy cost Russell and Antonelli, but if Verstappen does suddenly make himself available, then it will give Wolff an almost impossible task of choosing between his two drivers.

Russell is better prepared for a championship challenge next season, but Antonelli arguably has more potential at this early stage of his career.

Antonelli is being helped by Russell behind the scenes, but he would struggle to cope alongside Verstappen if he decided to join the Silver Arrows.

The only saving grace for the Italian teenager is that Red Bull have held informal talks with Russell in case Verstappen leaves, meaning a straight swap might be more likely than Antonelli having to make way.