George Russell's contract extension with Mercedes has stalled amid growing speculation over the team's strong links to Max Verstappen.

It's not necessarily the most likely outcome right now, but there is a genuine possibility that Max Verstappen could walk away from Red Bull amid rumours of a Mercedes offer

Sainz spent a season-and-a-half alongside Verstappen at Toro Rosso ahead of Verstappen’s promotion to the senior Red Bull team in 2016, Sainz going on to race for Renault, Ferrari, McLaren and now Williams, having signed a deal which keeps him with the team until at least the end of F1 2026.