George Russell states he feels “no hard feelings” regarding rumors connecting Max Verstappen with Mercedes and is not rushing his own contract talks to remain with the team.
Russell and teammate Kimi Antonelli`s spots at Mercedes for 2026 are not yet confirmed. Earlier in the year, speculation arose about a potential surprise move by Verstappen to Mercedes after Red Bull`s slow start to the season.
Since then, Red Bull has closed the gap to McLaren. Verstappen won in Suzuka and Imola, but he is currently third in the Drivers` Championship, 43 points behind leader Oscar Piastri.
Last year, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff publicly tried to recruit Verstappen but stated in March that a surprise move for the reigning world champion was “not on the radar”.
According to Sky Sports News, Verstappen`s contract contains a clause permitting his departure from Red Bull after this season if, improbably, he is not among the top four in the Drivers` Championship by the start of the F1 summer break on August 3, following the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Verstappen is currently 41 points ahead of Charles Leclerc, who is fifth, with Russell holding fourth place in the standings.
After winning the Canadian Grand Prix, Russell commented, “There haven`t been any hard feelings regarding any of the discussions taking place, especially concerning Max.”
He added, “As I`ve said many times, why wouldn`t teams be interested in Max? If no driver had contracts for next year, Max would be the top choice for every team. That`s understandable.”
“But ultimately, each team has two seats. I knew that if I kept performing as I am, my position wouldn`t be under threat at all. So, I feel confident.”
F1 driver contracts
| Expire at end of 2025 | Expire at end of 2026 | Expire at end of 2027 | Expire at end of 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuki Tsunoda | Lewis Hamilton | Lando Norris | Charles Leclerc** |
| George Russell | Fernando Alonso | Max Verstappen | |
| Kimi Antonelli | Lance Stroll | Oscar Piastri | |
| Franco Colapinto* | Pierre Gasly | **rumoured | |
| Liam Lawson | Esteban Ocon | ||
| Isack Hadjar | Oliver Bearman | ||
| *Number of races unknown | Alex Albon | ||
| Carlos Sainz | |||
| Nico Hulkenberg | |||
| Gabriel Bortoleto |
Russell: I`m not talking to any other F1 teams
On Monday, Autosport reported that Aston Martin is reportedly interested in Russell to lead their team from 2026, despite Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll being contracted for next season.
Speaking before this report, Russell maintained that his future is with Mercedes.
He stated, “I am not speaking with anyone else, nor any teams that have shown interest.”
“I have been quite open about my intention to remain with Mercedes. That has always been clear. I am loyal to Mercedes; they gave me the opportunity to enter Formula 1.”
Russell added, “We are not rushing contract negotiations. We want to win together, especially now that Kimi and I are teammates.”
“We achieved a result like Canada, both being junior drivers from Mercedes. We are both performing well. Why would you change something that is working?”
Wolff: Russell contract `all on plan`
Russell joined Mercedes from Williams in 2022 and has established himself as the team`s primary driver since Lewis Hamilton`s departure at the end of last year.
The 27-year-old scored only two fewer points than Hamilton during their three seasons together and clearly had the advantage over the seven-time world champion in their final season as teammates.
He has maintained this strong performance this year with four podium finishes, including Mercedes` first win of 2025 at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Mercedes team principal Wolff commented, “He has been with us for so long.”
“He is developing, and the progress he has made from being a young driver at Williams, then joining Mercedes during a challenging period, performing alongside Lewis, and now being clearly the senior driver since Lewis left, is natural.”
“There`s no politics involved. He has simply earned and deserves his position. The atmosphere in the team is excellent, and we have agreed on a timeline for finalizing these matters.”
“With triple-headers behind us, and races coming up one after another in June and July, we will get to it.”
“He has been a Mercedes junior driver since 2016. It doesn`t depend on whether he wins a race or performs, because we know he is capable.”
When asked about a new contract for Russell at the premiere of the F1 movie, Wolff concluded, “It is all according to plan.”
Brundle on Russell`s `perfect` Canada performance and his future
Sky Sports F1`s Martin Brundle offers his analysis:
“Canada was George`s perfect performance. Pole position, fastest lap, race win – quite untroubled.”
“When George is leading like that, you don`t question how he`ll handle the pressure. You don`t even consider it.”
“You know he won`t lock his brakes or make a foolish error. He`s focused and possesses the speed, consistency, and self-confidence, which was evident again in Canada.”
“Last year, we saw he largely had the upper hand over Lewis. He has thrived as the team leader. He`s out of Lewis`s shadow – whom he still respectfully calls `the GOAT` and says he `learned from`.”
Brundle on why Mercedes hasn`t finalized a new contract with Russell yet:
“Former McLaren boss Ron Dennis used to say, `what`s the point of deciding early if you have the contractual advantage?` It`s like landing with plenty of runway left; it`s no benefit to you.”
“I suspect they believe it motivates George. Perhaps they think, `George is doing well in this environment, let`s not rush the decision.`”
