A switch to Mercedes for Max Verstappen alongside George Russell has been given the green light by F1 champion Jenson Button.
Following the Austrian Grand Prix, where both Russell and Toto Wolff confirmed that Mercedes had approached Verstappen, speculation has been rife about the four-time world champion’s future.
However, alongside discussions over whether Verstappen should move to Mercedes, there has also been concerns over Russell’s own future. The pair have become entangled in a feud over the past year, starting in Qatar and most recently rearing its head again in Barcelona.
Despite their feud, Button believes that Mercedes should field two strong drivers, and that Russell and Verstappen would be the strongest partnership for the F1 team.
“I mean, the best in the world should be able to make that work for him,” Button said on Radio X’s The Chris Moyles Show.
“It’s a tough one on George, because George is at the top of his game. I think he’s been so competitive. When you see what he did against Lewis [Hamilton] in the last few years, he is world championship material.
“So, to replace Max with him, it just seems like a strange move. I know they’ve got the young Kimi Antonelli, who’s 18, who could be a future star. But we still don’t know that.
“Whereas George is there, he is good, and you need two very competitive drivers with this new era of the sport. Next year, obviously lots of regulation changes, car change, engine change. So, for me, George and Max would be a better line-up.”
Jenson Button has backed George Russell and Max Verstappen at Mercedes
Will Verstappen move to Mercedes?
Regardless of Red Bull’s decline in performance, Button still believes Verstappen has a tough decision to weigh up, and that arriving at Mercedes does not necessarily guarantee the Dutchman championship success.
“It’s a tricky one for Max, because he’s in a position where he’s doing so well with Red Bull – they’ve given him so much over the years,” the champion continued.
“They’ve designed this car around him, and he’s extremely good at it. Nobody can match him in that car.
“They’re so far off him. I mean, him qualifying third or fourth, and them qualifying 18th. If he goes to Mercedes, it’s a different thing altogether. You know, that car is not going to be designed around him. So, is it going to work for him? I don’t know.”
