George Russell questions F1’s new obsession with early, long-term contracts and warns that performance, not paperwork, decides a driver’s fate.
Mercedes driver George Russell isn’t backing down from his belief that the Formula 1 driver market feels “unnatural” with so many long-term deals being signed.
Speaking earlier this season in Saudi Arabia, Russell said he wasn’t worried about not having a contract secured for 2026 yet. In his view, the trend of drivers locking in multi-year deals well in advance isn’t how things should work.
“If a team wants to let a driver go, they’ll always find a way to make it happen, no matter the contract,” he explained.
Since then, Russell has admitted he would understand if Mercedes boss Toto Wolff made a move to sign Max Verstappen, should the opportunity arise. For now though, he’s not stressing about his own situation.
“When Lewis was still here, contract talks never even started before June or July,” Russell told The Athletic.
“It was always a summer thing and, honestly, the weirdest part right now is just how early and how long so many of these contracts are.”
“I feel like some drivers who focus too much on locking down their future might actually be lacking a bit of self-confidence. They want that extra security.”
“The reality is simple. If you have a contract but you’re not performing, the team will still find a way to replace you. Performance is all that matters. If you deliver on track, everything else takes care of itself.”
“When people aren’t happy, they start looking for changes. Next year will be interesting. I think this summer could shake things up.”
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Russell Slams F1’s New Trend of Signing Long Contracts
Russell Slams F1’s New Trend of Signing Long Contracts
