George Russell believes that Max Verstappen's indecision over his future in F1, as often expressed by the Red Bull driver, is just part of a "big tactic" to obtain more money from his employer.
Verstappen has been vocal this year about Formula 1, criticizing the direction of the sport in terms of its regulations, the sprint race format and Grand Prix racing's ever-expanding calendar.
Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028 but has repeated that the negative factors impacting F1 will weigh on his decision in five years' time to remain or not on the grid.
The Dutchman's most recent grievance was expressed on Thursday at Silverstone, ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix following the publication by the FIA of the sport's record 24-race 2024 schedule.
"It’s too many for me but we just have to deal with it," Verstappen said. "I think it’s a bit more logical the way it’s planned at least, so I guess that’s better for everyone.
"But more things that have to come together for me to make my mind up to stay longer or not. But these things are definitely not helping, that’s for sure."
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The two-time F1 world champion is reputed to be F1's top earner with a retainer of $55 million. But Russell suggests that Verstappen's complaints are just a ploy to encourage Red Bull to increase his emoluments when the time comes.
"I think he’s whinging because he wants more money," Russell reckoned.
"He’s the highest paid on this grid and rightly so for what he’s achieving but even so, I think it’s all a big tactic of his, that threat of retirement.
"I hope he doesn’t [retire], I hope he stays for as long as I stay because I want to fight against the best drivers in the world.
"I’m head-to-head with Lewis at the moment and I want to be doing that with Max and Charles etc and I think we’re in a really great place at the moment as a sport."
Beyond his assumptions regarding Verstappen's complaints, Russell was on the same page as the Dutchman regarding the expansion of F1's calendar and the inevitable burden it places on crews.
"It is challenging, we can’t just keep adding more commitments, more races, there’s got to be a point where if you are adding something somewhere, something has got to be taken off," added the Mercedes charger.
"Maybe at the moment we’re just adding more races and not having less commitments, so you are just working overtime.
"I’m sure it’s the same at Red Bull as well but if we didn’t have any other commitments we’d be happy to race every weekend I’m sure."
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