George Russell and Max Verstappen 'not compatible' as tension could scupper Mercedes move

team principal James Vowles believes that and are 'not compatible' as team-mates, and that his former team, , should steer clear of bringing the four-time world champion to Brackley. Verstappen has been linked with a switch to Toto Wolff's squad after questions were raised about his Red Bull future following a dismal weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Dutchman was only sixth at the chequered flag, and Helmut Marko admitted after the race that the team had real "concern" about losing the services of their star driver. However, Verstappen's relationship with Russell could be an issue, should Wolff secure the 27-year-old's signature. The two drivers clashed after the penultimate race of the 2024 season, with the Brit calling his rival a "bully" after the Red Bull driver labelled the man from King's Lynn a "loser".

Asked whether the duo could be compatible as team-mates at Mercedes, Vowles said: "I don't think so. I think they're two very different characters. I would also say - I'm not Toto - but I think he's got a really good driver line-up for the future.

"With Kimi [Antonelli] and yes, I'm biased, because I worked with him for a long period of time, but if you just look at the steps he's making in qualifying, he's making steps every single week, and he's only driven effectively four Grand Prix races.

"He's on a good pathway to be very, very competitive, so you keep investing in that, and George is delivering. You can't really fault... I mean, he's been a bit quiet, but you can't really fault anything he's done this year."

Vowles' words will strike a chord with Wolff, under whom he worked as a strategist before fleeing the nest to become Williams' team principal. The Austrian has first-hand experience managing two fiery drivers after Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's heated duels during the turbo-hybrid era.

However, Russell understands why his boss would be interested in bringing him to Brackley. "Why wouldn't they want to sign Max? It's totally understandable," he told PA in Jeddah. "He's the best at the moment. He's a four-time world champion. That's not anything against me or Kimi. There's two drivers for every team, and he is one person."

Russell went on to add: "I have got immense belief. I have been team-mates with a world champion for three years, the greatest of all time for three years (Hamilton). I believe I can beat anybody given the right chance, and that is your power."