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04/17 08:56 CDT George Russell says he wants to keep Max Verstappen in F1 but
would 'understand' if he goes
George Russell says he wants to keep Max Verstappen in F1 but would
'understand' if he goes
By JAMES ELLINGWORTH
AP Sports Writer
George Russell says he doesn't want Formula 1 to "lose" Max Verstappen as the
four-time champion vents his unhappiness with the new cars.
Verstappen has been the most vocal critic of the 2026 cars' reliance on
electrical power and the compromises it forces drivers to make on track. He's
even suggested it could be his last season in F1.
Russell is an old rival of Verstappen and has his best shot yet at the title
thanks to Mercedes' strong start to the season. He trails teammate Kimi
Antonelli by nine points ahead of the Miami Grand Prix in two weeks.
"Formula 1's bigger than any driver. You wouldn't want to lose Max because I
think we all enjoy racing against Max," Russell said Friday, and suggested some
of Verstappen's criticism might be because he and Red Bull aren't among the
title contenders.
"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."
Russell said Verstappen's interest in forays into other events like endurance
sportscar racing might be linked to having "not really much more for him to
achieve" in F1.
"My goal now is to become a Formula 1 world champion. If I had four of them
(titles) under my belt, I'd probably be doing the same," Russell said. "He's in
a very different stage of his career and I think you'd understand if he stayed
and you'd understand if you went."
Russell eyes changes Russell said potential rule changes have been a focus for him during the unexpected mid-season break caused when the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were called off. Russell wants to bring back a "flat-out" feel to qualifying with less need to lift off the throttle and generate electrical power and says that's helped by an improved relationship between the drivers and the governing body, the FIA. "The FIA have been in a lot of comms with a handful of drivers, and that's been collective. And at least from the FIA technical standpoint, it's probably the closest relationship we've had with them in numerous years, so that's very positive to see," he said.
Antonelli shrugs off pressure After winning two of the opening three races and becoming F1's youngest standings leader, it's all about keeping the momentum going for Antonelli. The 19-year-old Italian has been working on his fitness and says he feels more relaxed than he did in his rookie season last year. "Obviously, George is super strong and competitors will get closer, so I just need to keep doing what I'm doing, just trying to raise the bar little by little," he said. Being the first Italian in 20 years to win an F1 race means a lot more attention back home, but Antonelli says it won't affect him. "I am aware of obviously the increase of support and following after, especially my first wins, which has been very nice to see. But I don't feel more pressure," he said Friday. "I know expectations from people are higher now because obviously I'm coming off two wins and from a strong start of the season. But at the end of the day I keep my focus on the process, on what I have to do." ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Russell eyes changes Russell said potential rule changes have been a focus for him during the unexpected mid-season break caused when the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were called off. Russell wants to bring back a "flat-out" feel to qualifying with less need to lift off the throttle and generate electrical power and says that's helped by an improved relationship between the drivers and the governing body, the FIA. "The FIA have been in a lot of comms with a handful of drivers, and that's been collective. And at least from the FIA technical standpoint, it's probably the closest relationship we've had with them in numerous years, so that's very positive to see," he said.
Antonelli shrugs off pressure After winning two of the opening three races and becoming F1's youngest standings leader, it's all about keeping the momentum going for Antonelli. The 19-year-old Italian has been working on his fitness and says he feels more relaxed than he did in his rookie season last year. "Obviously, George is super strong and competitors will get closer, so I just need to keep doing what I'm doing, just trying to raise the bar little by little," he said. Being the first Italian in 20 years to win an F1 race means a lot more attention back home, but Antonelli says it won't affect him. "I am aware of obviously the increase of support and following after, especially my first wins, which has been very nice to see. But I don't feel more pressure," he said Friday. "I know expectations from people are higher now because obviously I'm coming off two wins and from a strong start of the season. But at the end of the day I keep my focus on the process, on what I have to do." ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
