Max Verstappen and George Russell are far from best friends (Image: Getty)
believes that neither he nor reigning world champion will have the machinery required to challenge during the early stages of the 2025 season. The Woking-based squad are projected to be the early pacesetters after an impressive pre-season test in Bahrain. Both and have set their sights on the Drivers’ Championship title, although they will face stiff competition from , and .
“I don’t think either of us right now have a car that potentially is capable of beating the ,” Russell admitted to . “, without doubt, look by far the strongest. Especially their race pace looks pretty impressive.”
and left pre-season testing with similar feelings about their 2025 challengers. Should the expected pecking order materialise in Melbourne next weekend, Russell and Verstappen are in line for several tantalising on-track battles.
The duo clashed off the racetrack during the final two rounds of the 2024 season. Verstappen was unimpressed with the Brit’s approach to a post-qualifying stewards’ meeting, calling him ‘two-faced’ and a ‘loser’. Russell then hit back in Abu Dhabi, labelling the driver a ‘bully’ who ‘cannot handle adversity’.
“I wasn’t going to just stand and be bullied around,” Russell explained. “People seem to always back down to him. And that’s just not how I go about my business. “I’m not there to be best mates with a world champion.
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Russell must now lead Mercedes in the post-Hamilton era (Image: Getty)
“I’m here to win. And that’s his mentality as well. There’s no love lost. I’ve never been scared to race against Max. I’ve always put up a fight.” When Verstappen was , he replied simply: “It’s fine. We’re good.”
If the off-track tussles continue in 2025, team principal could be left in a difficult position. The Austrian has been pushing hard to bring Verstappen to Brackley, but this would mean dropping Russell or newly promoted starlet Kimi Antonelli from his line-up.
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“I don’t think there’s any pressure whatsoever,” Russell insisted when asked about the situation. “All I need to do is continue doing what I’m doing, continue doing what I’ve done my whole career.
“So that changes nothing. And it’s not even something I’m thinking about. Because I 100 per cent back myself. It’s as simple as that. You perform, and everything will be there for you. I want to go up against the best. I don’t feel that my ability is in question.”