George Russell is aware of the Formula 1 drivers who have reached out to Toto Wolff regarding a potential move to Mercedes in the coming year.
Wolff, serving as the team principal, is now tasked with the significant challenge of finding a successor for Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time F1 champion.
Hamilton is set to spend one last season at Mercedes before transitioning to Ferrari the following year, opening up a highly sought-after spot next to Russell.
Per Crash.net, regarding his future partner, Russell mentioned, “[Wolff and I] already had conversations.”
“I’ve been with Toto a lot this winter. Seeing the drivers’ names pop up on the telephones was quite funny.
“Even on my phone, as well, the phone calls and text messages…So yeah it’s been quite interesting.
“But, as a team, we’re in a really good opportunity and position to go into this next chapter. There’s been so much success with Lewis and Mercedes.”
The range of candidates for the Mercedes seat spans from Fernando Alonso, a two-time F1 champion who declined to comment on the speculation during this week’s event in Bahrain, to the up-and-coming young talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Drivers without a contract, like Carlos Sainz, could also be appealing choices for the team.
When questioned about the qualities he desires in his forthcoming teammate, Russell emphasized, “I think it’s important to have good harmony between the drivers.”
“Because that trickles down into all of the engineers and the whole team. But, ultimately, the decision is with Toto and the board.”
