BUDAPEST, Hungary — George Russell admits Mercedes “holds the playing cards” in his contract negotiations for subsequent 12 months and that the previous months have been “conflicting” as he awaits information on his future.
And not using a contract in place for 2026, Russell’s place at Mercedes has been doubtful as group principal Toto Wolff has spoken brazenly about exploring the opportunity of signing Max Verstappen sooner or later sooner or later.
Verstappen confirmed on Thursday that he would stay at Purple Bull subsequent 12 months, that means a brand new contract between Russell and Mercedes for 2026 is anticipated to be confirmed within the coming weeks.
Nevertheless, with Russell being immediately managed by Mercedes, which signed him as a junior driver in 2017 and paid for his championship-winning seasons in F1’s two feeder collection, he says he has little sway over when his subsequent contract is confirmed.
“They in the end maintain the playing cards due to the scenario we discover ourselves in with the administration settlement,” Russell stated. “So that they’ve had no rush to signal Kimi [Antonelli, Russell’s teammate] or I as a result of we have got this longer-term, overriding deal in place.
“However the reality is I’ve by no means feared dropping my seat and that is not even been on the desk as soon as this 12 months, although, in fact, you guys wish to make a giant deal out of it.
“Possibly 12 months in the past I used to be a bit extra anxious and wished to get one thing sorted or confirmed for ’26, possibly six months in the past I felt the identical, however now I am performing higher than ever, I nonetheless really feel I’ve bought extra to present.
“I’ve waited so lengthy and I feel now I wish to get by this weekend, I wish to go on vacation subsequent week and benefit from the break, and there’s no time strain on my facet, there is not any time strain from the group facet.
“So at any time when we come to an settlement, we’ll get it accomplished, however it’s bought to be proper each methods.”
The bizarre scenario of being managed by the group he drives for seems to go away Russell weak ought to Verstappen turn into obtainable once more sooner or later.
Though the cope with Mercedes has been central to Russell’s progress in F1, he stated it had put him “in danger” over the previous six months whereas choices with Verstappen had been being explored.
“I imply, for example for my entire profession till final 12 months, the group have supported me a lot and given me such superb alternatives,” he stated. “Our objectives have been aligned, and what has been in the perfect curiosity of the group has additionally been in the perfect curiosity of me.
“Now, in fact, these final six months have been a really distinctive scenario the place I haven’t got enormous energy in that kind of settlement, and possibly the pursuits weren’t aligned for a while, which has, in fact, put me in danger for these final six months. However then it was my job to carry out and cut back that threat.
“So, I do not know, to be trustworthy. I do not want for it to return to something like that. I nonetheless belief Toto and I nonetheless belief within the group that they’ll all the time help me so long as I am performing. So that is what I have to give attention to. However in fact, for each Kimi and I, these previous months haven’t been probably the most assuring for our future, and that is simply been a bit conflicting.”
Requested if a multi-year deal was on the desk going ahead or only a single-year contract, which might permit Mercedes to pursue Verstappen once more for 2027, Russell added: “I imply, it is one thing we’d like to consider, what’s within the curiosity of each events actually — what do I would like from this as a lot as what do Mercedes need?
“It has been clearly a little bit of a singular scenario we discovered ourselves in over these final six months. The very fact is from my facet, I wish to win, that’s the solely factor I care about. Greater than cash, greater than variety of days of sponsorship, greater than something, I wish to win and that for me is a very powerful factor about my future.”
