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F1, George Russell feels ready to win his first World Cup

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George Russell is improving from season to season. Since joining Mercedes in 2022, he has proven to be one of the best drivers in the entire Formula 1. This year he finished fourth overall, managing to trouble, on several occasions, both Max Verstappen and, most importantly, McLaren. Already the winner of five GPs and with 24 podiums behind him, the 27-year-old British driver now feels ready for the’final leap forward, which is to win his first Formula 1 World Championship title.

Fabrizio PonciroliMercedes: surprising words from George Russell on Max Verstappen

Mercedes: surprising words of George Russell on Max Verstappen
Rumors of a transfer of the Dutch driver to the German team continue to circulate and George Russell was questioned on the matter

"It's normal that there are ongoing negotiations with drivers such as Verstappen", the British driver said in surprise
"Mercedes wants to get back to the top, and to do so it must make sure it has the best drivers, the best engineers, the best team"

"So it’s normal a contact with Max, but I’m not worried"

"What should I worry about, given how I’m performing? "
"There are two places in every Formula 1 team"
Toto Wolff meanwhile threw water on the fire on the issue: "There will be no surprises in 2026"

"That of the 2026 driver lineup is a decision that affects not only the team, but also the drivers themselves, who need to know their situation"
"This means that in Spa we will know which team we want to compete with in 2026"

"The direction we are taking is to continue working with George and Kimi"

"Obviously we cannot ignore Max and his plans for the future, but I don’t think there will be any big surprises"

Last year he was, by far, the most consistent driver in the’entire circus. The Mercedes driver had three wins, nine podiums and 18 top-five finishes in the 24 races held in 2025. He has finished outside the points zone only once (11th in Monaco). “Undoubtedly, it was my most solid season in terms of performance: the most consistent and the one with the fewest mistakes, so yes, overall, it was”, his words reported by Marca and pertaining to the post race of the Yas Marina GP.

“I always remember Schumacher at Ferrari: it took five years with the team before he won his first championship. People only remember the glory years, but most do not remember those four years without winning a championship” he said recently. In short, the Briton is convinced that 2026 will be his year. Especially if Mercedes is able to deliver him a very high-profile single-seater capable of making a difference on the track (with the new regulations, anything is possible).

“I am ready, but I know my time is limited, but I have to be patient” he said about what might happen with the 2026 reset. Indeed, it does look like next season could be the one for the 27-year-old Briton. The problem is that so many drivers have the same idea.

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Max Verstappen is thinking about it, McLaren’s two drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have high expectations for 2026, as does the rampant Kimi Antonelli, not to mention the lion Fernando Alonso. At the end of January there will be the first tests for the upcoming season. Who knows who will be the happiest.

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