Could Adrian Newey join Mercedes? This is what George Russell thinks...

On a traditional Thursday media day before the Miami Grand Prix, there was only one topic: the departure of Adrian Newey from Red Bull Racing. No driver passing through the paddock managed to avoid the question - What were their opinions of the master designer's departure?. The inevitable follow-up question was: 'Would you like Newey to join your team?' This is what George Russell(Mercedes) had to say about Newey.

Ferrari is most often mentioned as Newey's potential, next employer. Aston Martin - where money does not seem to be an issue - also is rumoured to be Newey's next home. Mercedes, the team of technical director James Allison, does not appear to be contacting the legendary designer. Russell, in his reply, spoke about Newey's achievements: "He is someone I respect, and of course, he is a legend in everything he has achieved in the sport."

Russell continued: "It doesn't change our life unless there's a secret and he thinks Mercedes is... Who knows? I don't know. So, as I said, I think it's great seeing a lot of loyalty for a long time. He's been in their team for 20 years. Same as Lewis being at Mercedes for 12 years, sometimes people need a change, and a change is a fresh start for both parties., and it'll be interesting to see what happens next."

Russell defends his Mercedes team:

There is always room for someone like Newey at Mercedes, but Russell believes that their current team are some of the best in the sport: "I mean, of course, you want to have the best engineers, the best drivers, the best drivers, the best mechanics. You want to have the best individuals be a part of your team. I think the team we have here over the course of the last 12 years, the group of engineers that sit in the room next door are still the most successful engineers that Formula 1 has seen in the last 12, 13 years."

"Now we're going through a period where we're not achieving the success that the team once achieved a few years ago. But I have faith in everybody. The people that won the championships, the new engineers and individuals who are part of this journey, to bring Mercedes back to the top."