Verstappen SNUBBED by Mercedes star after offer

Max Verstappen has been snubbed by a Mercedes Formula 1 star, as rumours continue to circulate about him joining the team.

Red Bull and Verstappen had a disastrous weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix, with the car struggling around the bumps and kerbs of the street circuit.

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The Dutchman finished in sixth, bested by rivals McLaren and Ferrari, as Charles Leclerc’s victory placed him within 31 points of Verstappen in the drivers’ standings.

Despite the disappointing result, Verstappen felt reassured that Red Bull’s performance was a ‘blip’, arguing their issues were track specific.

Is Red Bull’s dominance over?

As their rivals begin to catch up, some believe that Red Bull and Verstappen’s dominance could be coming to an end.

Monaco adds to a difficult year off-track for the team, after losing Adrian Newey and controversies surrounding team boss Christian Horner.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has taken advantage of the instability, openly courting Verstappen who has insisted he will remain with Red Bull.

The Brackley team’s current driver, George Russell, recently revealed that he would welcome the challenge of going up against Verstappen at the same team.

However, the Dutchman has now revealed that Russell has snubbed his efforts to spend time together outside of the F1 paddock.

In a chat with Canal+, drivers including Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Verstappen joked about the amount of time Russell spends in the gym.

"I've seen George post [online] a few times when he is in the gym," Piastri said.

This prompted Lando Norris to join in with the jibe at the British star.

"George is the guy who goes to the gym and makes sure he posts on Instagram 'Look I'm in the gym,” Norris added.

Verstappen also chimed in on the banter, suggesting Russell's gym schedule prevented them from spending time together.

"We have invited him many times to padel but sometimes his training schedule didn't allow him to go to padel,” the champion said.

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A post shared by George Russell (@georgerussell63)

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