George Russell’s F1 future at Mercedes remains unconfirmed, but Toto Wolff praises his growth, hinting at a 2026 contract extension.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes F1 Team Principal, has suggested that George Russell is likely to remain with the Brackley-based team next year, despite a delay in negotiations over his contract extension.
Russell, who has been associated with Mercedes since 2017, reaches the end of his current contract at the close of this season.
Wolff has never hidden his interest in signing Max Verstappen, whose potential departure from Red Bull Racing has been a frequent subject of paddock speculation for the past year and a half.
However, Russell’s victory in Canada reinforced just how difficult it would be to part ways with the Briton—even for Max Verstappen—prompting Wolff to praise his development since joining the team.
“He has been with us for so long and he’s making progress,” Wolff responded when asked whether his driver has definitively secured a long-term place at Mercedes F1.
“The progress he’s made since arriving at Williams as a young driver, then moving to Mercedes during a difficult period, matching Lewis and often finishing ahead.”
“And since Lewis’s departure, as clearly the most experienced driver in the team, everything has come naturally.”
“It’s not as if there are political considerations. He has simply claimed the place he deserves.”
Wolff hinted that an agreement would be reached this summer, stating that Russell no longer has anything to prove to the team.
“The atmosphere within the team is excellent. We just need to find a time to sort these things out.”
“With the three races that took place in Europe and the tight schedule in June and July, it’s not easy. But we’ll get there.”
“He’s been a Mercedes junior, like Kimi Antonelli, since he was 16. So it doesn’t depend on a win or his performances, because we know what he’s capable of.”
But when asked to clarify whether he will indeed offer Russell a new contract, Wolff gave neither a yes nor a no. He simply concluded with a laugh: “Everything is going according to plan.”