Helmut Marko Trolls Valtteri Bottas Amid Mercedes-Williams F1 Swap Rumours With George Russell

George Russell’s future has been a subject of speculation for months now regarding his move to Mercedes next year. Furthermore, Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko believes Valtteri Bottas will not drive for Mercedes and that Williams will be only his option for next season.

Russell, who joined Mercedes in 2017 as part of their junior driver program now drives for Williams, although he once started for Mercedes in Sakhir Grand Prix 2020 when he replaced Lewis Hamilton who had tested positive for coronavirus. He had an excellent race for Silver Arrows and once looked poised to win the race until he was involved in a pit stop blunder, finishing the race at P9.

On the other hand, Valtteri Bottas had a disastrous couple of race weekends as he scored no points. First in Monte Carlo, where Bottas looks strong at P2 but had to retire because of a jammed wheel nut on his front right tire. Second at Baku, where the Finn struggled for pace all weekend and finished at P12.

Watch Story: 5 F1 Crashes Which Stunned the World

What did Helmut Marko say?

On what the future holds for Valtteri Bottas, Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko believes the swap deal with Williams is the only option for the 31-year-old. In addition, he’s opined that the Finnish driver should not knock on Red Bull’s door as there is no space for him, and suggested that he should look for a possible vacant spot at Williams.

“Bottas doesn’t have to call us,” he jokingly said. “There is no space. Actually, I can only imagine a swap with Russell. I think Williams will be the only option for him.”

Keeping George Russell at Williams for another season “no longer makes sense”: Marko

Helmut Marko believes George Russell should swap seats with Valtteri Bottas and the young Briton should not stay another year with Williams.

“It would be the logical step,” referring to George Russell getting Valtteri Bottas’ seat. “You can’t hold it off any longer. Otherwise the funding no longer makes sense.”

In addition, the Finnish driver started his F1 career with Williams back in 2013 before replacing Nico Rosberg at Mercedes in 2017.

Read More: Fernando Alonso Explains How George Russell Opened ‘The Eyes of Millions of People’

Can we witness George Russell driving for Silver Arrows next season?