F1: Russell plagued by rumours rival Verstappen is replacing him ahead of home GP
As Formula 1 returns to the circuit that hosted its first world championship race 75 years ago, the 27-year-old Briton may be caught on the horns of an extraordinary dilemma as he seeks a fifth career victory to secure his seat, and his future, with Mercedes.
If he wins, and overhauls Verstappen in the drivers' title race, he may in so doing allow the Dutchman, also 27, to trigger an exit clause in his Red Bull contract, which runs to 2028.
It is widely believed that if Verstappen is not in the top three in the championship at the end of July – with a realistic chance of claiming a fifth crown – he can seal a move elsewhere, a prospect given impetus on Wednesday by reports claiming he has already said yes to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
Ahead of Sunday's race, Verstappen is third on 155 points, with Russell fourth on 146.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen leaves after his crash with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli at the Austrian Grand Prix. Photo: AFP
According to Sky Sport Italia, Verstappen and Wolff have held 'concrete negotiations' which resulted in the Dutchman giving his consent. No details were given and the story was not confirmed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Wimbledon: Sabalenka fights off Raducanu, Alcaraz marches on, Keys and Osaka crash out
Women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka fought off inspired home favourite Emma Raducanu in a cauldron-like Centre Court atmosphere to keep her Wimbledon quest on track, but it was the end of the road for two other grand slam champions on Friday. Sabalenka edged a ferocious contest under the roof after requiring eight set points in the opening set and then roaring back from a 4-1 deficit in a sizzling second. 'Wow! What an atmosphere, my ears are still hurting, it was super loud,' a relieved Sabalenka said on court after wrapping up the win on her third match point. Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, chasing a third successive Wimbledon title, was also put through the wringer by Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff before sealing a last-16 spot with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win. A record 36 seeds in the men's and women's singles failed to reach round three, and the upsets continued on Friday as women's sixth seed Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, and four-time major winner Naomi Osaka departed. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was pushed hard by Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff. Photo: Xinhua Japan's Osaka looked every bit the grand slam great for a set before losing 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. American Keys racked up 31 unforced errors in a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Germany's Laura Siegemund, at 37 the oldest woman left in the singles draw.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Meet Oliver Tarvet, who stunned against Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon: the 21-year-old student was the lowest-ranked player in the main draw, yet he put up an able defence against the world No 2
In a fiery display at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on July 2, Britain's Oliver Tarvet, the lowest-ranked player in the main draw, put up a commendable fight against world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz . The 21-year-old Brit battled through three rounds of the qualifying competition and made his Centre Court debut with a win against Switzerland's Leandro Riedi. Oliver Tarvet (pictured), the lowest-ranked wild card at Wimbledon, beat Leandro Riedi in their first-round match on June 30. Photo: PA via AP On what he described as the 'most special day of my life', Tarvet faced Spain's Alcaraz, a five-time grand slam champion, in a match lasting two hours and 17 minutes. This was the first time the British student had played on the main tennis tour, and although he lost to the Spaniard 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, he left a strong impression with a level of determination and skills far exceeding his world rank of 733. Advertisement 'In his second match on the tour, I just loved his game to be honest,' Alcaraz, Wimbledon's two-time defending champion, commented. 'I knew I had to play my best tennis. I was really happy with my performance, but big praise to [Tarvet] as well.' He impressed his high-ranking opponent and everyone who watched his performance at Wimbledon on July 2. Here's what to know about Oliver Tarvet. Wimbledon inspired him as a child Oliver Tarvet (pictured) may have lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of Wimbledon, but he did so in heroic fashion considering the players' relative world rankings of 733 and 2. Photo: Xinhua Tarvet first picked up a racket at a tennis centre near his family's home in Hertfordshire, in southeast England, per the BBC. At six years old, he had his first real lesson – and according to the coach, 'It was the best first impression anyone ever gave me in a first lesson.' Tarvet did not fully commit to tennis until he was in his teens, however. He was home-schooled for A-levels to enable him to play full-time at London's Unique Tennis Academy. The young player was fortunate enough to be able to attend Wimbledon with his family as a child – something he did from around the age of nine. 'I was a pretty good player as a little kid, and obviously it was a big dream of mine to come back and play on those courts,' he told last month. 'It felt so far away; now it's a reality. I'm just so happy I was able to pull through.' He can't keep most of his prize money Oliver Tarvet (left) plays for the University of San Diego. Photo: @ollie_tarvet7/Instagram For reaching the second round of Wimbledon, Tarvet won £99,000 (US$135,300) in prize money – but he will not be seeing most it. The amateur is currently on the college team at the University of San Diego, where he is a rising senior studying communications. Under National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules, he can only claim US$10,000 per year in earnings, to maintain his amateur status.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
F1: Russell plagued by rumours rival Verstappen is replacing him ahead of home GP
George Russell heads into his home British Grand Prix this weekend haunted by rumours and unconfirmed reports that fierce rival and four-time world champion Max Verstappen has accepted an offer to replace him next year. As Formula 1 returns to the circuit that hosted its first world championship race 75 years ago, the 27-year-old Briton may be caught on the horns of an extraordinary dilemma as he seeks a fifth career victory to secure his seat, and his future, with Mercedes. If he wins, and overhauls Verstappen in the drivers' title race, he may in so doing allow the Dutchman, also 27, to trigger an exit clause in his Red Bull contract, which runs to 2028. It is widely believed that if Verstappen is not in the top three in the championship at the end of July – with a realistic chance of claiming a fifth crown – he can seal a move elsewhere, a prospect given impetus on Wednesday by reports claiming he has already said yes to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Ahead of Sunday's race, Verstappen is third on 155 points, with Russell fourth on 146. Red Bull's Max Verstappen leaves after his crash with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli at the Austrian Grand Prix. Photo: AFP According to Sky Sport Italia, Verstappen and Wolff have held 'concrete negotiations' which resulted in the Dutchman giving his consent. No details were given and the story was not confirmed.
