George Russell says there’s an “exceptionally low” chance he’ll leave Mercedes next year even after he claimed the team was holding talks with Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen.

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has shared his concerns about Max Verstappen's potential move to the Mercedes F1 team, saying he would be a bigger threat than he is at Red Bull. George Russell recently admitted that his contract extension was on hold amid ongoing talks between Mercedes and Verstappen.

Rumors of a shocking move to Mercedes have followed Verstappen, and the entire F1 grid, from paddock to paddock in recent weeks. Those rumors picked up steam in the past 48 hours when a report from Sky Sports Italy indicated that Verstappen had agreed to move to Mercedes.