Christian Horner’s George Russell Comments: A Strategic Jab at Toto Wolff?

Christian Horner’s mention of George Russell seen as a jab at Toto Wolff

Nico Rosberg thinks that Red Bull's team leader, Christian Horner, is attempting to put pressure on Mercedes' chief, Toto Wolff.

Nico Rosberg believes that Christian Horner mentioning George Russell as a potential future candidate for Red Bull is "a bit of a jab aimed at" Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

Addressing rumors that Daniel Ricciardo may be dropped from Red Bull's affiliate F1 team, RB, Horner stated it would be "unwise" for his team not to explore the possibility of signing Russell once his contract with Mercedes concludes at the end of 2025.

"We have a break at the moment, and we want to use this time to evaluate our future options," Horner mentioned to Sky Sports F1 during the Singapore Grand Prix.

"We're open to exploring options beyond our current lineup. George Russell's contract ends next year, so it wouldn't be wise to overlook that. Additionally, there are other skilled drivers whose contracts may also be expiring."

During this time, Wolff alleged that his rival was "causing trouble" with remarks about having an interest in Russell.

In response, Wolff commented, "I believe he's always causing trouble; it's just how things work. George is a Mercedes driver and has been for a long time, and we hope he'll continue to be. We have a lengthy contract with him."

During an appearance on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg suggested that Christian Horner's remarks are meant to apply pressure on his competitor, Toto Wolff.

“It seemed like a subtle jab at Toto, in my opinion. It adds pressure on Toto to decide since George is currently without a contract,” the German remarked.

"Christian might act mischievously and attempt to take him away from that place, aiming to secure him with a contract immediately."

"I'm not sure if George would even care, but a remark like that certainly increases the pressure on Toto."

This follows a period of several months during which Mercedes has openly expressed interest in Max Verstappen, who remains under contract with Red Bull until the conclusion of 2028.

Earlier this year, discussions arose about Verstappen’s future due to controversies within Red Bull sparked by accusations against team principal Horner.

Wolff expressed that he would be thrilled to have Verstappen replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025, but he ultimately chose to advance Mercedes' young talent, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, to team up with Russell.

Nonetheless, the Austrian did not dismiss the possibility of continuing to show interest in Verstappen for a potential future position at Mercedes in Formula 1.

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