Schumacher advises Wolff: New contract for Russell or go all out for Verstappen?

Ralf Schumacher believes that it is fully justified in the German Sky Sports F1 podcast. "Certainly. Max Verstappen still makes the difference. Just think about it: where was Tsunoda, where was Verstappen? What does he always do with the car, in every situation and in terms of reading the race?"

Therefore, Schumacher has no doubt that Verstappen is the better choice over Russell - although he no longer sees the Brit making any mistakes. "It's still [Verstappen], no doubt about it. And then a while of nothing, and then the rest, comprising Piastri, Russell."

"Leclerc perhaps a bit less, though we have to see what he does once he finally has the right car beneath him. It's really very, very interesting what's happening there. But Max Verstappen is simply the number one driver, and I think any team would take him immediately," according to Schumacher.

It's undoubtedly known to the German as well that Verstappen is not planning to leave Red Bull Racing after the current season. This makes it likely that Russell will ultimately sign with Mercedes again.