Does Ocon’s new Alpine expansion pave the way for George Russell to switch to Mercedes?

By Sylvester Simmonds 17 June, 2021 2 mins read 288 Views

It was previously announced that Esteban Ocon is under contract with Alpine Racing. As it turns out, his contract runs until the 2024 season, so he’s secured for the next few years. However, this new pair of deals is having a huge impact on the F1 driver market. More specifically, it could mean that George Russell has a clearer path to a Mercedes seat.

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This is because both Ocon and Russell are young Mercedes drivers. They are also the only ones left after Pascal Wehrlein was released from the program. To get back to the topic, since Ocon and Russell are Mercedes members, they will eventually line up for a seat on the F1 team.

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The only question was which of them would come first. Now it appears that George Russell answered that question with Ocon’s Alpine contract. This means the Briton will be largely unopposed if Mercedes decides not to renew Valtteri Bottas’ contract.

Will George Russell move to Mercedes?

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The short answer is yes, but here, too, it is only a matter of time before the Mercedes team steps in. Of course there will be more interested parties, while Williams would like to keep him a little longer. With this in mind, Alpine F1’s Marcin Budkowski once joked: “I think they all have a lot to do with George. So, George, if you look at this and Toto has not come back to you, give me a call. “

Formula 1 F1 – Bahrain Grand Prix – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – Alpine Esteban Ocon comes to the REUTERS / Hamad I Mohammed track before the Grand Prix

Ultimately, Budkowski’s team decided to be content with Ocon in their squad. In the meantime, there could be an option for the second Alpine seat if Fernando Alonso decides to finally end time. There is currently nothing concrete from the Mercedes or Williams F1 camps. The reigning champion seems content to drag the situation out for as long as possible. It also gave Valtteri Bottas plenty of time to give them reasons why they should keep him.