However, Toto Wolff<\/a> wasn\u2019t in a position to do that, with George Russell<\/a> tied down until the end of 2025, and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli<\/a> given a one-year deal so that Mercedes could assess his performance.<\/p>\n Russell has proved to be one of the stars of the season, as he currently sits fourth in the drivers\u2019 championship<\/a>.<\/p>\n Position Drivers’ Championship PointsPts 1 284 2 275 3 187 4 172 5 151 6 109 7 64 8 54 9 37 10 27 <\/p>\n He\u2019s one of four drivers, including Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen<\/a>, to have won a Grand Prix this year, dominating the race weekend in Canada.<\/p>\n Russell\u2019s intention has always been to stay at Mercedes<\/a>, even if the team haven\u2019t rushed to tie him down to a new deal.<\/p>\n The issue for the 27-year-old is that the prospect of Verstappen joining Mercedes in the future looms over him.<\/p>\n This is not only impacting his contract negotiations, but also putting him on the back foot when it comes to nailing down the key details.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Mercedes driver George Russell\u2019s life outside F1 from net worth to height<\/a><\/p>\n A report from ESPN<\/a> has shared more details about the situation at Mercedes heading into next season.<\/p>\n It was previously reported that Russell was closing in on a \u00a330m-a-year deal<\/a>, but the driver himself admitted at the Hungarian Grand Prix<\/a> before the summer break that he didn\u2019t expect anything to be confirmed before the next race at Zandvoort.<\/p>\n The report states that \u2018sources with knowledge of the driver market\u2019 believe that Russell and Mercedes want different things.<\/p>\n The Silver Arrows want to offer Russell a one-year deal, allowing them the flexibility to try and sign Verstappen for 2027 if he decides he wants to leave Red Bull.<\/p>\n TEAMDRIVER 1DRIVER 2AlpinePierre GaslyN\/AAston MartinFernando AlonsoLance StrollAudiGabriel BortoletoNico HulkenbergCadillacN\/AN\/AFerrariCharles LeclercLewis HamiltonHaasEsteban OconOliver BearmanMcLarenLando NorrisOscar PiastriMercedesN\/AN\/ARacing BullsN\/AN\/ARed Bull RacingMax VerstappenN\/AWilliamsAlex AlbonCarlos Sainz2026 confirmed F1 drivers<\/p>\n However, Russell wants a \u2018longer deal\u2019, but his issue is that he\u2019s also managed by Mercedes, leaving Wolff in a \u2018luxurious\u2019 position.<\/p>\n Antonelli is expected to be retained for at least one more season, and because he\u2019s not had the same rookie campaign as someone like Hamilton or Verstappen, he\u2019s also unlikely to be in a strong enough negotiating position to secure a multi-year contract.<\/p>\n Russell has previously been told to accept a one-year contract<\/a>, as this would give him the flexibility to seek out better deals elsewhere.<\/p>\n He may have to see that as the bright side if negotiations go the way Mercedes want, as they appear to have all of the power in these conversations at this stage.<\/p>\n READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage<\/a><\/p>\n Where could George Russell go in 2027 if he accepts one-year Mercedes deal?<\/p>\n The F1 driver market<\/a> opens up substantially next year, with plenty of drivers reaching the ends of their contracts in 2026.<\/p>\n Should Verstappen take Russell\u2019s place at the end of that season, he would theoretically be the most in-demand free agent on the market.<\/p>\n Red Bull would have a vacancy available if Verstappen moved on, while if Hamilton doesn\u2019t trigger his contract extension<\/a>, then the possibility of joining Ferrari might also be on the table.<\/p>\n Virtually every midfield team has at least one driver coming to the end of their current deals next year, and Russell would almost certainly have his pick of the bunch.<\/p>\n![\"Mercedes](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2219518364-1024x731.jpg\")
Photo by Artur Widak\/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesMercedes could offer George Russell one-year contract he doesn\u2019t want to sign<\/p>\n