George Russell insisted that the uncertainty over his Mercedes future in the first-half of F1 2025 was “no distraction” for him.
Russell admitted that the matter of feeling “appreciated” or “underappreciated” was quickly put to rest by signing his new Mercedes contract, after the rumours of a move for Max Verstappen were hushed.
George Russell: Mercedes contract situation ‘no distraction’
Russell was one of the standout performers in F1 2025, a season which yielded two grand prix wins at the wheel of the Mercedes W16. Yet, Russell went much of the year without a contract for F1 2026.
The Verstappen to Mercedes rumours returned ahead of the summer break, a rekindled interest which Russell himself brought to the media, by claiming that “ongoing” discussions between those parties was influencing his path to a new deal.
Even when Verstappen eventually re-affirmed his Red Bull commitment, the wait for an announcement on Russell’s new deal went on.
It was after his win in Singapore that Mercedes announced new deals for Russell, and teammate Kimi Antonelli.
While speaking with PlanetF1.com, and a select group of other accredited media outlets, Russell was asked how distracting he found that contract saga, and whether at any stages, he felt underappreciated or taken for granted.
“Yeah, to a degree, but I wouldn’t say that was because of the conversations that… let’s say, less of a contract saga as such,” he replied.
“But, it’s very simple. Sometimes, you know, you’re appreciated if you think you’re getting your worth, and you feel unappreciated if you’re not, regardless of conversations that are going on.
“So that was kind of rectified quite quickly when we signed the deal, and for me, it was as simple as that. It was no distraction. I just focused on the racing.
“I guess there’s also some lessons for me that whatever the noise is that’s going on externally, there’s no real need to worry too much about that. You can be the nicest guy or the most hated one, but if you get in the car and you do the job, nobody remembers or thinks about the rest. They only care about the lap times.”
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Arguably the highlight of Russell’s season was Singapore. He upset the odds to claim pole position and delivered an accomplished drive to victory, five seconds up the road from Verstappen at the chequered flag.
As it turns out, that performance coincided with a critical point in Russell’s talks over a new Mercedes contract.
Asked if he was proud of his consistent performances, particularly in the first-half of F1 2025, amid the insecurity, Russell said: “I guess I never doubted it, but until, like, how my performances would be under certain scrutiny…
“With those regards, Singapore was probably the weekend where the heat was turned up the most in terms of our negotiations, and that was the weekend where I had my best race of the year.
“So yeah, I guess I am proud of how I dealt with everything, but I never doubted it. I didn’t think it was going to improve my performance. I didn’t think it was going to make my performance worse.
“I think we’re always dealing with stuff, as like, if we put it on a top-level basis, as humans, every day, you have a good day, you have a bad day. One day you’re happier, one day you’re sadder, etc, etc.
“I’ve learned for myself, no matter my emotions, it hasn’t really ever impacted my performance. So I kind of knew, with all of that noise that was going on, I didn’t think it was going to impact my performance, at all. So I guess it’s good, just to get a further confirmation of that.
“I have always had the debate with my trainer, Aleix [Casanovas], who’s been with me for like, eight years, and he always asked me, ‘How does this situation, whatever that situation might be, not affect you?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know, to be honest’.
“You can’t be on it every single day as a person, but when I’m in the car, it doesn’t matter what’s going on in my personal life. It doesn’t really affect me.”
Additional reporting by Mat Coch and Thomas Maher
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