"There’s no guarantee that Max Verstappen is going to be fighting every single year in the future" - George Russell on unpredictability in F1

George Russell reckons Max Verstappen's dominance in F1 won't last too long. The Mercedes driver hopes that he and other drivers will also be able to dominate the sport.

In the 2021 F1 season, Verstappen valiantly fought with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton for the drivers' title. In the season-ender at Abu Dhabi, the Red Bull driver won the race, and his first championship, after some controversial decisions made by the FIA. Since then, he has dominated the sport, winning most of the races in the two seasons after.

In 2024, however, Verstappen has faced stiff competition from Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes drivers who have also races in the first half of the seasons. Though the three-time world champion continues to lead the championship table, drivers like Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri are chasing him down.

Speaking to The Times, Russell explained how he could have won several races and clinched pole positions if the context had been different, and expressed confidence in a successful future:

"If these last three years was a different era, I potentially can have 20 wins, poles to my name and [I could have been] fighting for championships in all of these years. My time will come. When I look at Fernando [Alonso] or Lewis, I think I’ve got a good 17 to 20 years left in me. We’re all going to get our opportunity at some point," Russell said.

The Mercedes driver also said that Verstappen's "era" was not guaranteed to continue every year:

"This is Max [Verstappen’s] time. Max’s era. There’s no guarantee that he’s going to be fighting every single year in the future. Who knows what’s going to come next? I’ve just got to make sure I’m ready," he added.

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George Russell chimes in on suggestions Max Verstappen could take "year off" from F1 in 2026

George Russell said reigning world champion Max Verstappen can take a break from F1 in 2026 to observe which team performs best under new regulations.

For 2026, FIA has mandated several changes in F1's technical regulations, including for power units. The sport could experience a major shuffle in the pecking order following these changes. Considering this, several reports have said Verstappen could leave the sport for a year or two and move to the team that performs the best under the new rules.

Speaking to Daily Mail, Russell said Verstappen's brief departure from F1 was a possibility:

"Max can take a year off for 2026 and see which the best team is. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he did that. Remember, 2026 is a lottery. So, you truly don’t know what will transpire," Russell said.

As of now, Max Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull till 2028.