George Russell says he wants to keep Max Verstappen in F1 but would 'understand' if he goes

Japan F1 GP Auto Racing

Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain walks towards the Mercedes garage in Suzuka, central Japan, Thursday, March 26, 2026, ahead of Sunday's Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Japan F1 GP Auto Racing

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrates on the podium after winning the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race in Suzuka, central Japan, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) George Russell says he doesn't want Formula 1 to “lose” Max Verstappen as the four-time champion vents his unhappiness with the new cars. Verstappen has been the most vocal critic of the 2026 cars' reliance on electrical power and the compromises it forces drivers to make on track. He's even suggested it could be his last season in F1. Russell is an old rival of Verstappen and has his best shot yet at the title thanks to Mercedes' strong start to the season. He trails teammate Kimi Antonelli by nine points ahead of the Miami Grand Prix in two weeks. “Formula 1’s bigger than any driver. You wouldn’t want to lose Max because I think we all enjoy racing against Max,” Russell said Friday, and suggested some of Verstappen's criticism might be because he and Red Bull aren't among the title contenders. “The complaints that he has currently are different to the complaints of Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren because we’re at the front end of the grid.” Russell said Verstappen's interest in forays into other events like endurance sportscar racing might be linked to having “not really much more for him to achieve” in F1. “My goal now is to become a Formula 1 world champion. If I had four of them (titles) under my belt, I’d probably be doing the same," Russell said. "He’s in a very different stage of his career and I think you’d understand if he stayed and you’d understand if you went.”

Russell eyes changes

Russell said potential rule changes have been a focus for him during the unexpected mid-season break caused when the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were called off. Russell wants to bring back a “flat-out” feel to qualifying with less need to lift off the throttle and generate electrical power and says that's helped by an improved relationship between the drivers and the governing body, the FIA. “The FIA have been in a lot of comms with a handful of drivers, and that’s been collective. And at least from the FIA technical standpoint, it’s probably the closest relationship we’ve had with them in numerous years, so that’s very positive to see,” he said.

Antonelli shrugs off pressure

After winning two of the opening three races and becoming F1's youngest standings leader, it's all about keeping the momentum going for Antonelli. The 19-year-old Italian has been working on his fitness and says he feels more relaxed than he did in his rookie season last year. “Obviously, George is super strong and competitors will get closer, so I just need to keep doing what I’m doing, just trying to raise the bar little by little,” he said. Being the first Italian in 20 years to win an F1 race means a lot more attention back home, but Antonelli says it won't affect him. “I am aware of obviously the increase of support and following after, especially my first wins, which has been very nice to see. But I don’t feel more pressure,” he said Friday. “I know expectations from people are higher now because obviously I’m coming off two wins and from a strong start of the season. But at the end of the day I keep my focus on the process, on what I have to do.” \\\_ AP auto racing: