George Russell’s contract: does Mercedes Driver overcide New Deal beyond this season? | F1 News

George Russell revealed that he would not sign a new Mercedes contract during the summer holidays in Formula 1 this month.

Russell, who marked his sixth podium of the season on Sunday at the Hungarian Grand Prix, is the deepest F1 driver without contract for 2026, and the absence of a new agreement is particularly notable because of his strong performances this year.

The British driver revealed in June that Mercedes was in talks with the Max Verstappen camp, but the Dutch confirmed in Budapest that he would remain in Red Bull next year.

“I’m going directly on vacation, I’m going to do 10 days off!” Russell said Sky Sports F1.

“He (the director of the Mercedes Toto Wolff team) has nothing to fear, I have nothing to fear.

“Nothing will happen in summer because I want to rest, recharge myself and come back stronger for the second half.”

Wolff had previously suggested in May that Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who did not have a contract in 2026 either, would be pinned at the end of the summer break.

Last August, in Monza, Mercedes announced Antonelli as the replacement of Lewis Hamilton, and Wolff was asked if the team would wait for this duration to confirm Russell: “No, certainly not so long.

“George and I are totally clear about how it will happen and a 100%alignment. There is nothing like doing this because that’s not what we do.”

Russell has always said that there was “no precipitation” to sign a contract, despite the interest of other teams, notably Aston Martin and Cadillac, Sky Sports News understand.

“There is no time pressure. It will happen, it will happen,” he said.

“It’s when, not so. I am 27 years old now, I have been with the team for four years, next year would be my fifth. We want to build the relationship together, but it must be fair.

“I don’t want to rush. I’ve been waiting for 12 months. I’m not going to rush it in two weeks. We’re going to sit when the time comes.”

Wolff: No reason not to plan in the long term with Russell

Verstappen staying at Red Bull means that Russell is undoubtedly in a stronger position than Mercedes to accept terms that promote him.

Russell is considered one of the best pilots in the grid, after having produced an impressive 2024 campaign, dominating Lewis Hamilton by qualifying and finishing 22 points of his teammate in the driver’s classification despite the loss of a victory in Belgium because of a disqualification which was not his fault.

The chance to assert itself has been further improved when Wolff decided to play to put extremely inexperienced Antonelli in the other Mercedes car in 2025, the Italian teenager certainly needing time to find his feet at the highest level of Motorsport.

This season has seen Russell do exactly that, marking six podiums and taking the only realistic opportunity to win at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Wolff said: “George has always had good cards because he has delivered since 2018. There was not a season when he was not there, and nothing has changed in our thought for next year.

“It is not because you do not speak outside that things progress in your internal relationship.

“Regarding the contract, let’s see. We were released and will say what types of conditions we have proposed.

“Certainly his position in the team is strong. He was still in Budapest, and there is no reason not to plan with George in the long term.”

Brundle: Russell will want certainty with contract

Mercedes is expected to be the forefronts next year when the new regulations of 2026 are introduced, given their domination report in 2014 – the last time there have been changes in power units.

Russell will surely make pressure for a multi -year contract if he thinks that Mercedes will have the car to beat in 2026. If he receives only one year agreement or an agreement of one year with an option for an additional 12 months, he could face the difficulty of Mercedes who seeks to sign Verstappen for 2027.

Russell says that his only ambition is to win and went so far as to say that he “pays” to drive a winning championship car.

Sky Sports F1Martin Brundle said: “The performances are everything, there is no doubt about it. They all know about what others win, so George will not want to be underpaid. Why should he be?

“He will want a certain certainty. What he will not want to do is find himself in this position next year if Max Verstappen happens to be on the market.

“If I managed George, I would have said:” Don’t say that you are driving for nothing “or” don’t say that you will pay, please, because it will come back to hurt us somewhere “.

“But I know the point he was trying to assert. The cards turned around, isn’t it? Because suddenly George is by far the best driver available in the world of Formula 1 which has no contract next year.

“So now, suddenly, he says,” I’m going to slow down a bit. “This is how I read it.”

Formula 1 returns after the summer holidays with the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort on August 29-31, live Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – no contract, cancel at any time