Christian Horner’s comments about George Russell speak volumes after Singapore claim

Christian Horner has admitted George Russell is connected Red Bull's operator radar for 2026, with the Mercedes star's semipermanent aboriginal hinging connected his show adjacent year

Christian Horner’s revelation that George Russell is connected Red Bull's radar should travel arsenic nary surprise.

The regular Red Bull operator saga is successful afloat swing, with Daniel Ricciardo acceptable to beryllium dropped from the sister RB squad and replaced by Liam Lawson for the remainder of 2025. Meanwhile, successful the main team, Sergio Perez, is nether aggravated unit pursuing an atrocious play which has seen him get obscurity adjacent the gait of world champion team-mate Max Verstappen.

The Mexican could suffer his thrust for 2025, and perchance earlier if his struggles continue. It’s go a acquainted inclination for Red Bull, who person regularly chopped and changed drivers implicit the years.

The Milton Keynes squad bash person options successful their young operator stable, though squad main Horner insists the squad is prepared to look beyond that, arsenic they did erstwhile hiring Perez successful 2021. During the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, Horner highlighted the information Russell’s Mercedes declaration is up astatine the extremity of 2025.

He told Sky Sports F1: “We're not acrophobic to spell retired of the pool. George Russell is retired of declaration astatine the extremity of adjacent twelvemonth and it would beryllium foolish for america not to take that into consideration."

Horner is simply a semipermanent admirer of Russell, praising the British operator respective times successful the past. In 2020, Russell, past of Williams, replaced Hamilton, who had been sidelined by Covid-19, for the Sakir Grand Prix and astir won the race.

“If George was connected the unfastened marketplace past I deliberation a batch of teams would privation to drawback him up,” Horner told Sky Sports F1 astatine the time. “He’s a great, young endowment but helium is nether declaration to Mercedes and I’m definite they person a wide program for him.

“He’s going to beryllium champing astatine the spot to get his accidental now. I deliberation helium has served his apprenticeship [at Williams] and he’s evidently acceptable for that adjacent step. You would beryllium foolish not to look astatine him but I don’t judge that [Russell being connected the market] is the lawsuit due to the fact that of his statement with Mercedes."

YOUR TURN! Can you spot Russell driving for Red Bull 1 day? Tell america successful the comments section.

Then, successful an interrogation with GQ successful 2022, Horner was asked whether Charles Leclerc oregon Hamilton was Verstappen’s main rival. Again, helium took the accidental to notation Russell, saying: “We cognize that George Russell is highly talented, we cognize Lewis Hamilton is simply a seven-time satellite champion who’s evidently beauteous motivated arsenic well.

“So I deliberation Formula 1 has immoderate large talent, with immoderate large young endowment emerging. I deliberation that Max and Charles is simply a truly breathtaking dynamic successful particular.”

With teen Kimi Antonelli replacing Hamilton, who is disconnected to Ferrari, for 2025 and Mercedes squad brag Wolff making nary concealed of his tendency to motion Verstappen 1 day, Russell could person to look elsewhere for 2026.

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