George Russell delivers 'I'm up for it' verdict on Max Verstappen partnership

George Russell has conceded he would be "up" for partnering with Max Verstappen in a future 24-hour endeavour.

The Mercedes and Red Bull drivers have endured a fractious relationship on occasion, coming to a head when they clashed in last year's Spanish Grand Prix in an incident that cost Verstappen a time penalty, and played a pivotal role in him missing out on a fifth consecutive F1 drivers' title.

Verstappen has also been heavily linked with a move to Mercedes, potentially as team-mate to Russell, although the British driver has currently been second best of late to current team-mate Kimi Antonelli, who has carved out a 20-point cushion in the drivers' standings.

Russell has now not ruled out the possibility of even joining forces with Verstappen in a future sports car event after witnessing his exploits last weekend in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, coming close to victory, only for his car to suffer a driveshaft failure.

As to whether he could race with Verstappen at the Nordschleife, speaking to the media ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, including RacingNews365, Russell said: "Yeah, never say never. Who knows? Max is obviously one of the best.

"I was asked a lot, obviously, last year about being team-mates with him, but more in Formula 1 rather than sharing a seat.

"But you know, I'm up for it, and would relish the opportunity to always go against the best.

"That's how I felt when I was team-mates with Lewis [Hamilton], and still how I feel about Max. As any driver, you want to go head-to-head with the best."