George Russell would ordinarily be guaranteed a new contract at Mercedes. He’s been one of the best-performing drivers on the grid in 2025.
Russell enters the Canadian Grand Prix weekend fourth in the championship. Only the two McLaren drivers have scored more podiums than his four, and he hasn’t had the luxury of a dominant car.
Any uncertainty over Russell’s future doesn’t stem from his own performances. Instead, it’s linked to the potential availability of Max Verstappen.
Verstappen’s Red Bull deal includes an exit clause that could allow him to leave before its 2028 expiry. It reportedly kicks in if he’s outside the top three in the world championship.
Ironically, the penalty Verstappen received for hitting Russell in Spain has made that a more realistic possibility. Having dropped to P10 at the chequered flag, he’s only 26 points ahead of the British driver.
The Canadian GP is round 10 of the season, which means the halfway point of the year is approaching. And still there’s no indication that a new deal is imminent for Russell.
George Russell claims he doesn’t have ‘time’ to negotiate a new Mercedes deal
Russell’s Mercedes contract was inevitably one of the topics that came up when he sat down with TSN before the Montreal weekend. He reiterated that he would like to continue where he is, and he believes the feeling is mutual.
But he did make a rather strange comment, suggesting that the two parties don’t have ‘time’ to discuss an extension right now because they’re too busy trying to improve the car. This hasn’t stopped some of Russell’s peers from signing contracts in-season.
Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly all penned new deals between April and June last year. Besides, surely Mercedes could have resolved the matter in the winter if this was going to be an issue – as Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris have done recently.
“The alignment at the moment is that we’ve got more important things to worry about, which is making the car go faster,” Russell said. “I know I’m going to be in Formula 1 next year.
“My goal and intention is to stay with Mercedes. I think from their side, it’s the same. I’ve really got no concerns whatsoever because I feel I’m performing better than I’ve ever done before.
“I feel in a great place, but we don’t even have the time to do a contract at the moment, to be honest. We’re trying to get Mercedes back on top, and that needs all of our focus. We’ll start discussing the future when the time is right.”
The latest F1 paddock rumblings could spell trouble for George Russell
Russell’s stock was extremely high at the end of last season. He’d just beaten seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton on points for the second time in three years, and thrashed him 19-5 in the qualifying battle.
He and Mercedes had multiple months to reach an agreement but were unable or unwilling to do so. Perhaps Toto Wolff wanted to see what Verstappen was planning before he tied himself down.
But he might not be the only driver in the conversation. There are now rumblings that Leclerc is growing unhappy at Ferrari, and Wolff is said to be a strong admirer of the eight-time race-winner.
Russell is attracting interest from Aston Martin, and it’s likely that multiple teams would offer him contracts in light of his recent achievements. But this is a risky time to move, with seismic regulation changes on the immediate horizon.
