George Russell’s F1 contract talks remain on hold as Mercedes denies Verstappen rumors and emphasizes stability in its driver lineup.
Mercedes F1 insists there is “no urgency” to resolve George Russell’s future in Formula 1.
The Briton, one of the most consistent drivers so far this season, reaches the end of his contract this year and currently has no deal in place for 2026 or beyond.
Russell Future Not Delayed
Despite Russell’s impressive form, Mercedes has yet to sign a new contract, although Toto Wolff has repeatedly emphasized the team has no intention of changing its driver lineup.
Mercedes continues to be linked with a possible move for Max Verstappen, but Wolff has stated this is not a factor in their timing.
“Absolutely not! It may appear that way because there are always rumors about Max. But George and I are fully aware of how things are going to unfold. And we are completely aligned.”
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“There is no question of dragging things out to wait for another driver, because that’s not how we operate. We have agreed on when the window to negotiate opens, and that’s at the beginning of summer. Until then, you’ll hear noise and we’ll give you the same answer.”
No Rush on Russell
Mercedes team representative Bradley Lord added: “I thought you were going to try and catch me out with the same question as Toto!”
“No, we’re not in a rush. We also manage George’s career while being the team he currently drives for.”
“But there’s no pressure. He is fully focused on our performance this year and how we continue to make progress.”
“Then, at the right time, he and Toto will sit down together and, as they always say, it won’t take long to sort things out.”
“It hasn’t happened yet, but it will certainly happen in the weeks and months to come.”
Russell Leads by Example
Russell currently sits fourth in the championship with 99 points, 47 behind leader Oscar Piastri. The 27-year-old Briton has consistently maximized the potential of his Mercedes, securing four podiums in the first seven races.
“He’s clearly embraced a leadership role,” Lord noted. “It’s like he’s the big brother and Kimi the little brother.”
“I think that really suits George — this ability to lead and be the benchmark for the team. It plays to his strengths.”
“He’s delivered every time he’s been in the car. He’s maximizing what we have, earning podiums where they’re possible, and then working extremely hard with the factory designers to understand where we can improve the car, how we can move it forward to close that gap to the leaders.”
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