George Russell says he will be racing for Mercedes in 2027, "100 percent" and other driver news

Speculations regarding driver moves in Austria have been aplenty so far this weekend with rumors swirling around regarding Max Verstappen, whose decision seems to be key in finalizing the driver landscape.

Verstappen has been linked to McLaren in a recent report in the Daily Mail, which means either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri will have to make way, probably the latter, who is reportedly on the Red Bull Racing radar.

Verstappen was also linked to Mercedes ahead of the current season when Red Bull Racing was falling apart following the firing of Christian Horner.

However, he stuck with his team and, based on Russell's recent comments, won't be joining Mercedes, at least not in 2027, unless Toto Wolff decides to fire Kimi Antonelli, which would be ludicrous.

“I’ll be racing here [Mercedes] next year, 100 percent," Russell told Sky Sports F1. “It hasn’t even been discussed [with Wolff]. We don’t need to discuss it.

"It’s not even a question mark. I don’t want to go into any more detail, but I will be here next year, and that’s the fact of it," the Briton insisted.

While Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen insisted loyalty governs the relationship between his driver and Red Bull Racing, he also pointed out that an extended stay in the midfield is not an option for the Dutchman.

Furthermore, there could be some changes within the Red Bull driver program, as rumors claim Formula 2 driver Nikola Tsolov could be promoted to Racing Bulls, which may cast a doubt on the futures of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson.

However, a vacant Red Bull Racing seat, should Verstappen leave, may solve the problem for Red Bull. Isack Hadjar has been doing a decent job so far, but will he stay beyond 2026?

Racing Bulls Team Principal Alan Permane played down the Tsolov rumors and told Sky Sports F1: "They are just rumors. Honestly, we haven't even discussed it at all.

"He's in the Red Bull program, doing very well in F2, but we're very happy with our two [drivers] at the moment, so there's no discussion at all," he added.

Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon have also been part of the recent F1 driver silly season, as the Spaniard, at 44, is yet to decide on his future with Aston Martin, or the sport in general, beyond 2026.

Ocon's future, on the other hand, and following a disappointing performance at Haas, is hanging in the balance, despite claims from the Frenchman that he doesn't care what people say.