Why Russell's F1 future is uncertain - despite his strong start to 2025 (ad-free)
Added 2025-04-30 11:22:06 +0000 UTCWhy is George Russell’s Formula 1 future uncertain at a point where he’s performing better than ever for Mercedes? That’s a question we tackle in the latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast.
Glenn Freeman and Ben Anderson join Edd Straw to discuss Russell’s performances and the factors that mean a new deal with Mercedes isn’t yet a foregone conclusion.
We look at the situation with Max Verstappen’s potential availability and the chances of Russell being displaced, and why Mercedes would consider making such a change.
And we also ask what Russell’s fallback plans might be and if there’s anything he can do to persuade Mercedes to put pen to paper.
We also look ahead to the Miami Grand Prix and McLaren’s chances of a fifth victory in six races, as well as answering listener questions related to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
In the final part of the podcast, we tackle questions from The Race Members’ Club on multiple topics, including the problems of the regulations, Isack Hadjar and Carlos Sainz.
Comments
Agreed. It’s been one of the more cringe inducing topics that’s been around since mid last year (and particularly annoying at this point in the year). The better driver takes the reigns and shouldn’t require team contrivances outside of very specific circumstances *late* in the year
Nate B
2025-05-02 04:13:40 +0000 UTC100% agree with Glenn about McLaren choosing to prioritise Norris or Piastri. It's one thing I find particularly annoying about the F1 fandom. People seem obsessed with this idea that every team has to have a number 1 and number 2 driver. It feels completely unnecessary, especially at this point of the season with how close the two of them are.
Dan W
2025-05-01 15:10:39 +0000 UTCGreat point regarding Piastris performance vindicating McLarens handling of Hungary. The dynamic of him being managed by Webber is critical in my opinion, so whilst he comes across as cold and robotic and like he'd accept whatever is thrown at him, I'm sure behind the scenes it would've had massive ramifications for the team dynamic
Duncan Bertram
2025-05-01 06:52:19 +0000 UTC
