Formula 1: George Russell ‘would understand’ if Max Verstappen leaves the sport

Russell said he believed Verstappen’s complaints were influenced by the fact the Dutch driver’s Red Bull team have not started the season with a competitive car.

“I didn’t enjoy driving the 2022 car when it was porpoising up and down, killing everybody’s backs,” said Russell, whose Mercedes team have won all three races this year.

“The car was big, it was heavy. The high-speed corners, it wasn’t very pleasant to drive around. But he didn’t have the same complaint, because he was winning.

“Now, the complaints that he has currently are different to the complaints of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren, because we’re at the front end of the grid. This is only natural, and you do understand and recognise the frustration.”

Russell said Verstappen’s success was also an important factor in his thinking. The 28-year-old is also starting to race in sport cars, especially at the iconic Nurburgring Nordschleife, a 14-mile circuit in Germany regarded as the most challenging track in the world that is too dangerous for modern F1.

“He’s achieved what most drivers dream of, which is winning a championship,” Russell said. “He’s got four of them. There’s not really much more for him to achieve in Formula 1. He’s ticked all the boxes.

“Maybe he can go after the records. But knowing him as I do and knowing drivers who have won or achieved similar things, at one point, you want to do what puts a smile on your face.

“I can totally understand why driving the Nordschleife puts a smile on his face. I’ve driven hundreds of laps around it on the simulator. And I would love to have that chance to go and race around the Nordschleife.

“But my goal now is to become a Formula 1 world champion. If I have four of them under my belt, I’d probably be doing the same, so he’s in a very different stage of his career.”