George Russell has opened up on his contract talks with Mercedes, pushing the F1 team to put 'pen on paper' amid talks of a Max Verstappen swoop. ➡️ READ MORE Defending F1 world champion Max Verstappen has opened up on the prospect of Red Bull legend Sebastian Vettel making a return to the team.

The idea of Max Verstappen joining Mercedes would have seemed outlandish when he fought Lewis Hamilton in the contentious title decider in 2021.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has confirmed he is in talks to sign Max Verstappen from Red Bull and partner him with Formula 1 rival George Russell. Despite having a contract until 2028, Verstappen has been continually linked with leaving Red Bull, the team he has driven for almost his entire F1 career.