Russell’s Mercedes future in chaos as Wolff dithers – George Russell told to call Toto Wolff’s bluff – The 2025 Formula One season is hurtling towards its conclusion in Abu Dhabi and yet top driver George Russell has not contract with his Mercedes team for next season. Of course Mercedes will retain the services of the English driver but the terms on which the deal is extended are far from being agreed.
Russell will almost certainly secure fourth place in the drivers’ championship given he is currently 47 points ahead of his nearest rival in Charles Leclerc. He also has almost double the points of his rookie team mate and is the sole reason Mercedes remain in second place ahead of Ferrari and Red bull Racing.
Most drivers in Russell’s position would be nailed on already for a drive for the next couple of seasons given his pedigree and success. He has eight podiums this season so far including Mercedes only win at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Wolff scarred by missing out on Max
So why is George Russell without a contract yet from Mercedes? The answer is simple yet becoming increasingly complex. Toto Wolff wants to keep his options open for 2027 should Mercedes build the car of the next era and Max Verdstappen wish to join the team.
Yet on current results, it wold surely be Kimi Antonelli who should make way were the world champion to come at knocking at the Brackley door, but Toto Wolff insists he is the next big thing in Formula One.
Wolff is somewhat scarred by a decision he made a over a decade ago when Jos Verstappen gave him first refusal on a sixteen year old kid called Max. Toto dithered and Dr. Helmut Marko swooped, offering him a guaranteed F1 drive for 2015 in the Toro Rosso team.
Determined not to suffer the same fate with Kimi Antonelli, Toto refuses to countenance drop[pig the praising young kid should Verstappen come calling in a year’s time. So it is Russell who is forced to bend the knee in terms of his contractual arrangements with Mercedes. The British driver has been candid over the issue, he wants greater security for his future than the Toto Wolff special ‘one plus one year’ kind of deal.
The Wolff ‘one plus one’ year special deal
In fact it was this style of contract which irritated Lewis Hamilton and within weeks of putting pen to paper with Mercedes late in 2023, he was announcing a move to Ferrari for this season. Yet the deal served Toto’s purposes then as it does now with the Mercedes team boss admitting that Hamilton’s decision to leave removed the scenario of difficult talks about their future relationship when his time was up.
“Yeah, very difficult [conversations]. That would have been a scenario that, for me, from a personal perspective and as Mercedes, [it] would have been something that we would have dreaded,” claimed the Mercedes team boss.
For Wolff the situation is clear, he will keep the door ajar for Verstappen in 2027 should the world champion wish to join Mercedes. He also believes Antonelli will make a significant leap in terms of his performance, although his rookie season has been far from idea..
This force George into accepting the one plus one year deal on offer from the team and in response he has made it known he will accept such terms but wants a premium on his salary for 2026. Autoweb is reporting Russell will drop his demands for a three year deal if Mercedes will match Lando Norris salary of £20m a year.
McLaren sale sees an astonishing value
Russell compromises but Toto remains stoic
Whilst Toto Wolff is happy to increase Russell’s current remuneration but the current offer from Mercedes is at around half the amount that his driver is requesting as compensation for a lack of job security. In an effort to move the stalemate forward, Russell has accepted he will sign a one year deal however he has now requested a ‘special’ performance clause which protects him should Verstappen arrive at the team in 2027.
Russell’s management is reportedly demanding a ‘relative performance’ clause in his contract which compares how he delivers when compared to his team mate and could see Russell retained over Antonelli we’re Verstappen to switch his colours to the silver arrows.
The clause is simple. Should Russell again significantly outperform Antonelli boy a set margin, then he wold automatically trigger a retention clause for 2027 regardless of whether Verstappen joins the team or not.
Sources close to the situation are now briefing a number of media outlets that Wolff has been caught surprised by the skilled negotiations but refuses to back down on his simple one pus one year deal with Russell. Meanwhile there’s little George can do with all the top team drives for 2026 nailed down he has little choice but to accept the terms on offer.
Wolff Slams Antonelli, Then Doubles Down – Mercedes Make Shock Changes
Mercedes fall from grace as Russell rises to the top
Were Russell in a McLaren, many F1 paddock analysts believe it would be him who was not in a fight for his first F1 drivers’ championship. Russell was left languishing at Williams by Mercedes for three long seasons while Valtteri Bottas played the loyal wingman to Lewis Hamilton.
As son as he received the call from on high, Mercedes were no longer competitive. Even so Russel has been their best driver for three of the last four seasons. Wolff now has broken a public promise he made to his lead driver in that a contract would be agreed before the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
Former F1 driver and Indy500 champion Pablo Montoya suggest Russell take matters into his own hands and reject the current treatment he is suffering at the hands of Toto Wolff. Were Wolff to decide on Max Verstappen and a George Russell exit, the Colombian believes Russell will be in high demand elsewhere.
Hamilton’s Ferrari feud explodes
Russell told to back himself and call Wolff’s bluff
Montoya tells AS Columbia: “He’s not going to put himself in that position. He’s not going to open the door for Mercedes to take him down. He’s not going to let that happen. At that point, it’s better to go to Red Bull, go to Aston Martin or something and go somewhere else. If he’s willing to go somewhere else, I think they would consider it strongly, right?”
Montoya believes Russell should start conversations now with other teams regardless to find a new home where he is appreciated for 2027. Were Mercedes to fail to solve the conundrum of the new F1 car design and power unit regulations next season, the cards would all be held by Russell anyway.
“Mercedes has no choice. Who is Mercedes going to put in the car? Yuki? Lindblad?” Argues Montoya. Further, gambling it all on Verstappen coming a calling for 2027, indicates Mercedes will have delivered a car for the new era which is better than their competitors. If this is the case, Russell has one year to claim an F1 drivers’ world championship, given Antonelli presently looks far from the finished article.
As world champion, even in a dominant Mercedes racing machine, Russell would have the pick of the field as a new home and of course there would be a vacant Red Bull slot should he choose to try and tame that particular bucking bronco.
Hamilton and Ferrari ‘set to split’
Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was billed as a fairy-tale partnership. The seven-time world champion donning the iconic scarlet red of Maranello was expected to reignite his career and Ferrari’s pursuit of glory. However, as the season has progressed, the situation has become more complicated.
The latest episode in Baku highlighted both promise and frustration, leaving pundits such as Ralf Schumacher questioning whether this relationship is heading towards success or separation….. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
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