George Russell has delivered for Mercedes since joining the team four seasons ago. He finished ahead of team mate Lewis Hamilton in the F1 drivers’ title race in two of their three years racing together. Now paired with rookie Kimi Antonelli, Russell is chalking up the majority of Mercedes points this season, with a race win and four other podium finishes.
The Mercedes’ team leader sits fourth in the drivers’ championship and is the highest placed driver this season without a contract for next year. Team boss Toto Wolff has been candid over the delay in handing his star driver a shiny new deal, stating in Austria the potential availability of Max Verstappen is holding matters up.
“I think when you look at the situation we have with Kimi and George, we have a perfect line-up that we very much enjoy and that we believe is the future,” Wolff explained to Sky Sports F1. “But, at the same time, there is a four-time world champion that needs to decide what he is going to do in the future, and that is just, as a team principal, you need to see where that is going.”
Russell claims almost 75% of Mercedes points
Given Russell has delivered around 75% of Mercedes points this season, it would appear highly unlikely if Verstappen were to move to Mercedes, George would be ditched in favour of Kimi Antonelli who is still learning his trade. So Russell’s signature should be nailed on, surely?
The issue holding up a new deal for George is one of timing. He is coming to the end of a deal that was lauded as a two year contract, but turned out to be just one year plus an option if both sides agree for a second. Hamilton fearful of his future at Mercedes, decided to bail on his similar deal just one year into its time frame.
A driver of George’s capabilities would be expecting a minimum two year commitment from Mercedes and probably three.
Yet Mercedes do not want to have to farm out Kimi Antonelli for potentially two to three years, which is impacting their ability to reward Russell with the kind of deal he richly deserves. Now with Christian Horner having been sacked, the issue of Verstappen will again rear its head for Toto Wolff.
Was there really friction between Max and Horner?
F1 observers like Martin Brundle believe Horner’s shock departure from Red Bull mean Max Verstappen is more likely to remain with the Milton Keynes based team. Yet there is no evidence for this and the fallout from the team bosses sacking may have negative effects short term within the team.
Staff were reportedly ‘angry’ and ‘emotional’ on hearing the news of their team principal being forced out of his role and it could be the alleged brain drain Red Bull has been suffering could become a tidal wave of CV’s circulating the paddock. The assumption that Max will now remain at Red Bull is predicated on the notion that he and Christian Horner did not get on anymore.
Yet Dutch friend and F1 journalist Eric van Haren said yesterday: “I think the relationship between Christian Horner and Max was not as bad as we think. If you are in a marriage, you don’t have be be always on speaking terms.” There is a clear division in the Verstappen camp over their view of Horner as Max posted a glowing tribute to his ex-team boss, while his manager was not so complimentary with his views.
So to connect Verstappen staying at Red Bull with the departure of Christian Horner in particular, would appear to be an incorrect reading of the tea leaves. In Russell’s favour is the fact that presently nobody has a clue which team will come out on top in 2026 following the huge new car and power unit regulation changes. And whilst Mercedes claim they will have the best power unit, nobody really knows how well their competitors are making ground.
Verstappen manager with cold farewell message for Horner
F1 journos say its ‘not about the money’
So for Max to sign for Mercedes, would probably mean a multi-year deal, but should he wait and see how the pecking order next year emerges, he may have a pick of one or two more teams. Yet the issue remains. Its not about Mercedes not wanting George for next year, its about whether there is room for him in the team come 2027, should Verstappen arrive and Antonelli have developed well.
Speaking on this weeks popular F1 nation podcast, Diego Mejia aired his views on the matter. “I don’t know how much of this is George trying to get the deal that he feels is right for him and the deal that he deserves. There are many angles to it, I guess, not only the money, I think, but not being in a position like Lewis was when he signed his last deal with Mercedes and opened the door for him to leave to Ferrari.”
Tom Clarkson agreed with his co-host: “I’m not sure it’s just financial, I think it’s the length of the deal. I think George doesn’t want a one plus one, he probably wants three fixed years, and Toto’s saying… I think they’ve reached a bit of an impasse there, maybe. But I still think he deserves better, I think he deserves whatever he wants, quite frankly, I think George Russell is that good.”
George likely forced to take a 1+1 year deal
Of course Russell and Verstappen have had their words in days gone by and whilst Max may not necessarily wish to veto him as a team mate, the two paired in the same F1 team could become an explosive affair. When pressed at the Austrian Grand Prix over how the team dynamic between Verstappen and Russell would work, Toto Wolff replied:
“I can imagine every line-up. I had Nico [Rosberg] and [Lewis] Hamilton fighting for a World Championship, so everything else afterwards is easy,” the Austrian reflected. “There’s pros and cons of having two drivers fighting each other hard. We’ve seen examples where that functioned and other examples where it didn’t.”
The current impasse in George Russell’s contract is unlikely to just disappear, even were Max to declare his allegiance to Red Bull for 2026. It appears George is heading for a new one plus one year deal from Toto, but unlike in Hamilton’s case where it was the driver who bailed on the second year, this time it could be Mercedes favouring Antonelli over their current team leader.
Antonelli to Alpine make way for Verstappen and Russell
Antonelli to Alpine? Italian Media’s Wild Theory Behind Verstappen-Mercedes Plot Twist – Max Verstappen to Mercedes: it’s the rumour that simply refuses to die. And now, just when we thought the silly season had peaked, Gazzetta dello Sport has added an extra layer of drama to the plot. According to the ever-imaginative Italian press, the key to unlocking Verstappen’s move lies not with Toto Wolff or Christian Horner—but with one teenage prodigy: Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Yes, the future of Mercedes apparently hinges on whether the Silver Arrows are willing to shuffle Antonelli off to Alpine—so that Max can swan in a year later and claim his throne. But before we all start placing bets, let’s untangle this spaghetti of speculation….. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
