George Russell gives new update on contract situation with Mercedes
As Formula 1 heads into its summer break, British driver George Russell has made it clear he’s in no hurry to renew his contract with Mercedes.
Mercedes’ 2026 driver lineup remains one of the season’s biggest question marks—especially after Max Verstappen confirmed at the Hungarian Grand Prix that he’ll stay with Red Bull, putting to rest rumors of a potential move to Mercedes.
That leaves George Russell as the central figure in Mercedes’ future plans, though he’s made it clear he’s in no rush to sign a new deal.
Russell makes his stance clear
“Nothing is going to happen over the summer because I just want to have a rest and recharge and come back stronger for the second half of the year but there’s no time pressure either way. It will happen when it happens, it’s a when not if,” Russell told Sky Sports F1.
“I’m going straight on holiday, I’ll have 10 days off! He [Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal] has got nothing to be worried about, I’ve got nothing to be worried about. It’s going to happen,” he added.
A moment the Silver Stars driver has been waiting for for a long time and doesn’t want to rush into: “The question is when, not if. I’m 27 now, I’ve been with the team four years, next year would be my fifth and we want to build the relationship together but it’s got to be right and I don’t want to rush it. I’ve been waiting 12 months, I’m not going to just rush it in the course of two weeks so we’ll sit down when the time is right.”
A renewal that, if it happens, will put an end to the soap opera that has been surrounding Formula 1 since the start of the 2025 season.
The first part of the puzzle is solved, with Max Verstappen staying in Milton Keynes next year. The second part is yet to be resolved, although for Russell there is no rush, as it will happen when it has to.
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