George Russell ‘not safe at all’ at Mercedes as Nico Rosberg issues warning

George Russell joined Mercedes at the start of the F1 2022 season

Nico Rosberg fears George Russell is “not safe at all” at Mercedes if the team rekindle their interest in Max Verstappen ahead of the F1 2026 season.

Mercedes confirmed their driver lineup for F1 2025 at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli promoted as Russell‘s new team-mate following Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari.

Nico Rosberg: George Russell has ‘everything to lose’ in F1 2025

The Brackley-based team opted to sign the teenage sensation after abandoning their efforts to lure Max Verstappen from Red Bull, with team boss Toto Wolff making no secret of signing the reigning three-time World Champion.

It remains to be seen whether Wolff will try again to sign Verstappen – contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028 – next year ahead of F1’s major 2026 regulation changes, for which Mercedes’ preparations are thought to be advanced.

With the length of Antonelli’s contract unspecified, and Russell’s current deal due to expire at the end of next season, Rosberg is convinced that F1 2025 will be a “shootout” between the current Mercedes drivers for the chance to partner Verstappen.

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And the 2016 World Champion fears Russell has “everything to lose” as the likely team leader alongside rookie Antonelli.

Rosberg told Sky F1: “George Russell is not safe at all because Toto still wants Max and he will try again for 2026 because ‘give up’ does not appear in Toto’s vocabulary.

“If Max does become available – and I do think it’s a possibility – then it is a shootout between George and Kimi next year.

“And it’s a lot of pressure on George because he has everything to lose, really, next year.

“He should be the one ahead internally, because Kimi is 18 and he’s completely new and in a full-pressure situation.

“It’s not an easy situation there for George.”

Speaking at Monza, Wolff vowed to “keep the communication channel open” with Verstappen but stressed that it is “much too early” to say whether Mercedes could land the Dutchman for 2026.

He told the BBC: “For the benefit of our drivers next year, I don’t want to have any conversation about 2026 or beyond, because we very much hope that the 2025 lineup will be the lineup going forward.”

Earlier this year, the former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan claimed Wolff had met with Mercedes chairman Ola Kallenius and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, owner of team sponsors INEOS, to prepare a “fighting fund” to cover Verstappen’s salary in the event of the World Champion’s departure from Red Bull.

Verstappen reportedly earned $70million over the course of his record-breaking 2023 season, with Russell thought to have netted around $8m last year.

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