George Russell calls Max Verstappen 'one of the GOATs' in surprise praise

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George Russell has termed Max Verstappen as 'one of the GOATs' as his contract extension with Mercedes continues to get delayed. The British driver has been a consistent performer for the German team, and with Lewis Hamilton now moving on to Ferrari, he has taken on a leadership role within the team.

Russell joined the sport in 2019 after clinching the Formula 2 title in 2018. It was followed by a few years in Williams, where he impressed everyone. In 2022, he got a much-deserved promotion where he was teamed up with Hamilton. In his three years with the F1 legend on the team, the Brit beat the veteran twice and established himself as one of the top drivers.

With Lewis Hamilton leaving in 2024, George Russell has taken on a leadership role at Mercedes. However, his current contract expires in 2025. An extension seems like a logical option, but it could well be that boss Toto Wolff is still holding out hope for a possible Max Verstappen signing.

Talking to Motorsport, Russell shared that he had no qualms over any team trying to sign Verstappen. Calling the Dutch driver 'one of the GOATs', he said:

"It's understandable, the likes of Max have always been on the radar because why wouldn't he be on the radar? He's one of the GOATs and I get that. But then it's down to you to prove your worth. And I feel I've done that time and time again over the course of seven years in F1 and my whole career. So I've got no concerns."

George Russell's contract has been the topic of conversation quite a few times this season, but it does appear that they have been stalled for now. The driver revealed that the team had a bigger fish to fry for now as they focused on making the car better.

In what should have been a straightforward contract extension, the delay is starting to catch the attention of the F1 paddock.

In sharing an update on his contract situation, Russell said:

"No real conversations to be honest because we've got bigger fish to fry at the moment, which is making our car go faster. I know I'm going to be in Formula 1 next year. My intention and goal is to stay with Mercedes and I think that's very much the intention of Toto as well. To be honest, there's no real reason for either of us to deviate."

Interesting times ahead for George Russell and Mercedes, as despite being brilliant all season, the driver is still facing uncertainty over his future. The driver has been the benchmark at Mercedes, and will be hoping to secure a future with the team soon enough.