Outside the corridors of Brackley, the question of George Russell’s contract extension is growing. Slowly but surely, doubt is creeping in about Mercedes’ true desire to make the Briton and his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, the brand’s two future headliners in F1. While Max Verstappen If time is part of the equation, wouldn’t the plan simply be to buy time in order to lure the Dutchman into the net?
According to information shared by RacingNews365, the delay in signing would actually be mainly linked to George Russell. A successful winner of the last Grand Prix in Singapore, the former member of the house Williams is gaining momentum and assuming his status as leader on the track this year since the departure of Lewis Hamilton in FerrariFaced with this natural takeover, the person concerned would like to be more demanding.
Russell sets his conditions with Mercedes
Accustomed to extending its drivers’ contracts for only one year, the Brackley team seemed to be aligned with its driver on this point until now. In the spring, George Russell pointed out that his fellow drivers were desperate to ensure the comfort of the extension, putting performance and the reality of the track second. On the other hand, although the short-term horizon suits him, Kimi Antonelli’s teammate would like to be able to add an additional year automatically activated if he were to beat the Italian in 2026. This clause is reportedly one of the current sticking points.
While this may not seem overly engaging on the part of Mercedes, the fact that such a desire makes Toto wolff, a reluctant shareholder and Team Principal of the team, would suggest that the 2027 season could indeed bring a driver change for the team. Naturally, the shadow of Max Verstappen would grow, as the four-time world champion will be free to sign wherever he wants from the end of 2026. Enough to imagine a tacit agreement in the event of Mercedes’ performance?
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Fewer obligations wanted by Russell?
At the heart of a fundamental issue sometimes overlooked by Formula 1 fans, driver availability is also reportedly becoming a crux of the negotiations. Currently, George Russell is available to Mercedes for marketing days for 60 days per year. A real lever of value for teams, the time their drivers give to partners and the press allows them to gain in attractiveness in this regard. In this case, it seems that the Briton wants to reduce this availability period, while Mercedes would like to simply renew this clause.
Adopting a true leadership attitude in the way he conducts the dance with his employer, will George Russell win his case? It’s difficult to say, as the driver market places both the interested party and Mercedes in an embarrassing situation should the extension fail. As a reminder, neither of the two drivers currently under contract with the German team have officially been extended for 2026, despite Toto Wolff’s reassuring statements to that effect. While necessity could prevail in the very short term, persistent disagreement could quickly lead to a breakup. Beware, therefore, of signing by default. It could quickly give pause to George Russell, who fearlessly displays his desire to take full control of his near future.