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Formula 1 driver turned commentator Martin Brundle has weighed in on the George Russell and Valtteri Bottas Mercedes saga.
With Lewis Hamilton signing a contract extension last week which will keep him with the Silver Arrows for another two years, it leaves just one seat left at the team next season.
Bottas has been with Mercedes for five years but never has his seat looked under more threat than with now, with junior driver Russell performing so well at Williams – and knocking on the door for a drive at a top team.
And Brundle admitted he wouldn’t be shocked if the German team decided to make the switch.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if George [Russell] got the drive next year alongside Lewis [Hamilton] at Mercedes,” Brundle told Sky Sports F1.
“Whether it’ll be announced at Silverstone, if they’re going to do it, why not? It would be the perfect place.”
Russell is currently in his third year with WilliamsMercedes boss Toto Wolff has said before that he wants a decision to be made as soon as possible, but has recently added this will be during the summer.
Russell, meanwhile, has said he wants to know his future before F1’s upcoming break in August.
While no resolution has been reached as of yet, Brundle believes now could be the perfect time to move Russell up to the team.
“If you were running Mercedes-Benz, and you look at it and think, is Valtteri Bottas our man to win the championships when Lewis inevitably retires two, three or four years into the future?” he added.
“You’d have to think no.
“I hate to say that, I really do admire Valtteri; I think he’s a great driver, does an amazing job up against the might of Lewis Hamilton.
“But you can’t honestly say that if Lewis wasn’t there Valtteri would be dominating instead, can you?
“So I think Mercedes have to get a young gun in there to emerge as their automatic new team leader, sooner rather than later.”
Image credits: formula1.com