The Pit Stop: Could Russell really lose his Williams F1 seat to Perez?

George Russell’s future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks after it emerged that Sergio Perez was a shock contender for a seat at Williams for the 2021 Formula 1 season.

Williams confirmed back in July that Russell and Nicholas Latifi would continue with the team into next season, but following the takeover in September, things appear to have changed, with new owners Dorilton Capital looking at ways to bring in extra revenue.

Despite Russell insisting his contract is watertight and that he has no concerns over potentially losing his drive, the speculation only further ramped up in Portugal when acting Williams team principal Simon Roberts refused to confirm the team’s driver plans for 2021.

Mercedes F1 chief Toto Wolff says Williams’ ultimate call on the future of his junior driver has nothing to do with his driving skills and is a “political and commercial decision”, though he has suggested Mercedes would help the Briton should he lose his place on the grid next year.

Perez is looking for a drive for 2021 after losing his place at Racing Point to four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and certainly deserves a place on the grid, as does Russell following an impressive sophomore campaign at Williams.

But could Perez’s financial backing sway Williams’ decision, or are the rumours simply a bluff from the Mexican’s camp to try and increase his chances of landing a drive higher up the grid with Red Bull?

This is the topic of discussion in our latest video for the Pit Stop, where F1 Digital Editor Lewis Larkam and Dornie Burnett discuss the situation. You can see the full video below…

What do you think - could George Russell really be replaced at Williams by Sergio Perez? Share your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to like and subscribe to Crash F1.