Few predicted that the combination of Mercedes and George Russell would come out on top at the Canadian Grand Prix, but they fought hard and deserved to secure their first victory of the season.
It was quite a complete performance from the Silver Arrows and their British driver, who looked unperturbed by the efforts of reigning champion Max Verstappen throughout the weekend.
Russell is still a dark horse candidate for the drivers’ championship, particularly if his team can get the development of their car right.
Mercedes were strong at the Canadian Grand Prix last year too, so it’s important to be wary that sustaining this level of form and finding more consistency matters more than the result itself.
Confidence will have risen a little, but Russell still expects Mercedes to ‘struggle’ at other races as they battle with higher track temperatures.
Mercedes ‘can’t’ be happy with Russell until he wins a title for them, according to an insider. The team have invested a lot in his talent through the years, and will want to see a return on it at some point.
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George Russell proved Mercedes right by winning after ‘trouble’ part was re-installed
Mercedes’ development path hasn’t been as good as it could have been over the last few years, as they have been overtaken by the likes of McLaren and Ferrari relative to the start of the regulations.
Aston Martin are chasing Russell ‘hard’ and have invested heavily in their future. With a billionaire owner and Adrian Newey at the helm, they may be able to put a tempting package together.
But for now, the 27-year-old will be happy with Mercedes’ form, especially after they made the bold move to re-introduce a rear suspension upgrade which had been taken off the car.
According to The Race, it had caused the team ‘trouble’ before being brought back to the car in Canada for a second chance.
Clearly, it hadn’t been the issue as Russell stormed to pole position on Saturday before clinching an important victory on Sunday.
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George Russell’s ‘intentions’ for the 2026 F1 season revealed
It’s entirely possible that Russell ends up with multiple options on the table for the future, given his current form and contract status.
All the while he performs well and Mercedes fail to pin him down to a new deal, his price is going up even more.
It keeps the Formula 1 driver market entertaining, but could end up costing his team more in the long run.
The likes of Alpine, Aston Martin and Red Bull all need a fast, dependable driver with experience for next year, and he ticks all the boxes at this stage of his career.
It’s going to take an impressive offer to secure his services, but Russell’s ‘intention’ is to stay at Mercedes for the time being.
