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George Russell stated he would understand if Max Verstappen decided to leave Formula 1 due to his frustrations with the 2026 regulations. Verstappen has been vocal about his dissatisfaction and is considering his future in the sport.
Russell âWould Understandâ if Verstappen Left F1Clive Mason - Getty Images
George Russell has hinted that Max Verstappenâs complaints of 2026-spec Formula 1 are linked to Red Bullâs woes, but that he would also understand if his rival quit the sport.
Verstappen has long been critical of the new F1 regulations, and after the most recent race in Japan last month indicated publicly for the first time that he is evaluating his future post-2026.
Verstappen has added to his non-F1 commitments this year by participating in GT3 races at the NĂŒrburgring Nordschleife, including this coming weekend, ahead of his NĂŒrburgring 24 Hours debut in May.
Russell and Verstappen have had an at-times fractious relationship, and while the Briton believes Red Bullâs issues in 2026 have accentuated the four-time championâs feelings, he can understand the perspective.
âYou wouldnât want to lose Max because I think we all enjoy racing against Max,â Russell said on Friday.
George Russell leading Max Verstappen during the Japanese Grand Prix last month.NurPhoto - Getty Images
âI didnât enjoy driving the â22 car when it was porpoising up and down, killing everyoneâs backs, the car was big and heavy, [in] the high-speed corners it wasnât very pleasant to drive around, but he didnât have the same complaints because he was winning.
âNow the complaints he has currently are different to the complaints of Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren, because weâre at the front end of the grid and this is only natural and you do understand and recognize the frustration.
âHeâs achieved what most drivers dream of, which is winning the championship, heâs got four of them, and at the end of the day I guess heâs got to the point⊠thereâs not really much more for him to achieve in F1, heâs ticked all the boxes, maybe he can go after the records.
âBut knowing him as I do and knowing drivers who have won or achieved similar things at one point you want to do what puts a smile on your face, and I can totally understand why driving the Nordschleife puts a smile on his face, Iâve driven hundreds of laps there on a simulator, and I would love to have that chance to go and race around the Nordschleife.
Max Verstappen is evaluating his future in Formula 1 due to his ongoing criticisms of the new 2026 regulations.
George Russell expressed that he would understand if Verstappen chose to leave the sport, given his frustrations.
Max Verstappen has participated in GT3 races at the NĂŒrburgring Nordschleife and is preparing for his NĂŒrburgring 24 Hours debut in May.
Russell hinted that Verstappen's complaints about the 2026-spec regulations are linked to the challenges faced by Red Bull.

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âBut my goal now is to become an F1 world champion. If I had four of them under my belt Iâd probably be doing the same, so you know heâs in a very different stage in his career and yeah I think youâd understand if he stayed and youâd understand if he went.â
Mercedes has exerted its authority on Formula 1 in 2026, with Russell nine points behind teammate and early title leader Kimi Antonelli.
Russell won in Australia, and Chinaâs Sprint Race, before Antonelli claimed a maiden victory in the race in China, to which he added in Japan.
But Russell has cautioned against the notion that the title battle is just a straight fight between the Mercedes teammates.
Mercedes teammates Kimi Antonelli (left) and George Russell.NurPhoto - Getty Images
âOf course I hope itâs just the two of us going for the championship, but I donât want to get ahead of ourselves,â Russell said. âIn 2022, after three races I think [Charles] Leclerc had a 30-plus point lead and Max was saying the championship is over, and Ferrari were quickest, and at the end they werenât.
âI think we have a very good direction, I think the correlation is very good, weâre ticking all of the boxes that tell us we have a great foundation with the car, but these things change.
âWe know McLaren havenât brought a major update lately, and when you look at their performance at Suzuka, [Oscar] Piastri could have won that race without a Safety Car.
âIâm taking it race by race, the championship isnât even in my mind, I go to every race, try and maximize the performance, and weâll count the points at the end of the season.â