George Russell said he believes Max Verstappen’s recent quit threat is linked to Red Bull’s struggles so far this season, but he said he would understand if the four-time champion walked away from Formula 1.
After struggling to an eighth-place finish at last month’s Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen said he was considering leaving F1 at the end of the year due to his dislike of the sport’s new regulations, which he has described as “anti-racing.”
A major overhaul of F1’s power units this year has put added emphasis on electric power, which has changed the way drivers go racing and switched the focus of qualifying laps from driving flat-out to energy management.
Russell said he enjoys competing against Verstappen in F1, but ultimately the sport would continue without the Red Bull driver, who he believes has a different outlook after winning four world titles in his career already.
“Formula 1 is bigger than any driver, but you wouldn’t want to lose Max, because I think we all enjoy racing against Max,” Russell said.
“And [the change in regulations] is just part and parcel of Formula 1. I didn’t enjoy driving the 2022 car when it was porpoising up and down, killing everybody’s backs. The car was big, it was heavy. The high-speed corners, it wasn’t very pleasant to drive around.
“But he didn’t have the same complaint because he was winning. Now, 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. And this is only natural.
“And you do understand and recognize the frustration. But he’s achieved what most drivers dream of, which is winning a championship. He’s got four of them.
“At the end of the day, I guess you get to a point in life that there’s not really much more for him to achieve in Formula 1. He’s ticked all the boxes.
“Maybe he can go after the records, but 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.”
Alongside his F1 commitments this year, Verstappen is also preparing for an assault on the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May and will participate in two ‘Qualifier’ races this weekend on the legendary Nordschleife circuit.
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Russell revealed that he would love to take on a similar challenge but is currently focused on chasing his first F1 title.
“Driving the Nordschleife, I can totally understand why driving the Nordschleife puts a smile on his face,” the Mercedes driver said. “I’ve driven hundreds of laps around the simulator, and I would love to have that chance to go and race around the Nordschleife.
“But my goal now is to become a Formula 1 world champion. If I have four of them under my belt, I’d probably be doing the same. So, he’s in a very different stage of his career.
“And I think you’d understand if he stayed [in F1] and you’d understand if he went.”
