Red Bull 💦would be "foolish" not to consider an approach for Geor🅠ge Russell when his Mercedes contract expires next year, says team principal Christian Horner. ()
While three-time world champion Max Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, the poor form of team-mate Sergio Perez ha⛄s cast💯 doubt on their lineup.
Perez started 2024 with four podium finiꦏshes in his first fi🍃ve races, but he has since endured a run of 13 outings without a top-three finish to slip to eighth in the drivers' championship.
Russell is set to become Mercedes' l🐼ead driver for 2025 when Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari, but with the Silver Arrows' team principal Toto Wolff repeatedly talking up the possibility of moving for Verstappen, his long-term future is in doubt.
With Russell's contract expiring after next season, Horner says Red Bull co🌱uld swoop f♛or him to fill a "gap" between their current drivers and those coming through their academy.
"We've got a gap now but we just want to take time to cꦡonsider what those options look like for the future," Horner told Sky Sports F1.
"And we're not afraid to go out of the pool. You know, George Russell is out of contract at the end of next year. It would ꧅be foolish not to take 🐟that into consideration.
"There are other taleꦍnted drivers that could well be out of contract as well."
Russell claimed his second F1 race win in Austria earlier this year and currently sits seventh in the drivers' standings, 11 𒉰points ahead 🃏of Perez.
Horner's com൲ments on Rus✅sell were put to Mercedes boss Wolff, who accused his counterpart of "stirring".
"He🐼 is always stirring s*** up on his part," Wolff said. "It's part of the game.
"Georg♛e is a Mercedes driver, has been forever and hopefully will be forever. H♒e has a long contract with the team."
The✨ Silver Arrows endured a frustrating outing at last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton finishing fourth and Russell sixth after early difficulties with the team's split strateg🌼y.
