George Russell has revealed how much longer he plans on racing in Formula One amid big changes at Mercedes.
The Briton has told how he believes he can race for another 20 years as he prepares to become the main man at Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton is set to leave at the end of the season to join Ferrari in a stunning move while teenage hotshot Kimi Antonelli will be promoted from the F2 to become Russell's new team-mate.
But Mercedes' dream is to sign Verstappen, who is having problems with Red Bull this season, while team principal Toto Wolff has admitted talks have been held.
George Russell has said he could race for another 20 years
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Ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Russell has insisted he could race well into his 40s to reassert himself as Mercedes' main guy.
The 26-year-old, who joined the Silver Arrows in 2022, said: “The last two years have flown by and I feel I still have 15 to 20 years ahead of me.
“That's why I don't see it as lost time. As a driver, you always want a perfect car. You learn that this is not possible.”
Russell joined Mercedes as Red Bull took over as the dominant force in Formula One with Verstappen winning the last two World Championships.
But problems have arisen this year at the Austrian team with legendary designer Adrian Newey already being poached by Aston Martin.
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And Russell has explained how empires can crumble in the blink of an eye in motor-racing.
“If you are successful for a long time, people think it will last forever. That is a misconception,” he said.
“When Vettel became world champion four times in a row, people couldn't imagine anyone else winning. It was the same with Lewis and now maybe also with Max.
“If the season had started after the summer break, nobody would be able to say who would be world champion. This in the nature of this sport.”
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Max Verstappen has had his problems with Red Bull
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Wolff has openly courted Verstappen as he looks to sign a big star to replace Hamilton and before the season got underway, he spoke with the Dutchman's manager Raymond Vermeulen and father Jos.
"I thought all through the year that there was a window or that there was a possibility. It wasn't zero," Wolff said before the Dutch Grand Prix.
"It's pretty bumpy ground there still, and not only for performance reasons, but also because of interpersonal issues that we're all aware.
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George Russell is set to become Mercedes' leading man
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"By the way, I got on with Jos for all my life. But maybe because we're a bit similar. And that's why I thought the door was never completely closed.
"What were the odds of that happening? Maybe they were 10 to one. Nine to one.
"Still, I didn't want to give up, but then we together came to the conclusion over the summer that we shouldn't be waiting for something to happen before committing for 2025, but let's just continue our job, Max at Red Bull and here at Mercedes taking our own driver decisions and that was a kind of a joint thought."
While there is no chance of Verstappen joining Mercedes in 2025, the team are plotting to land the Red Bull star in 2026 despite his contract expiring in 2028.
