With just six race weekends remaining of the 2025 Formula One season, George Russell was finally awarded a new Mercedes contract for 2026 after being embarrassed by his team boss Toto Wolff for several months.
The Mercedes team boss had openly courted Max Verstappen during the early summer months in a desperate bid to sign the world champion for next season. The “pull” for Max to leave his Red Bull home for next year was the supposed genius Mercedes demonstrated when new engine regulations came into force in 2014.
Yet back in 2014, the last big powertrain rule change, Mercedes spent a reported $1bn in research and development of the V6 turbo hybrid, some five times more than their nearest competitor.
The reason for Verstappen’s interest in Mercedes
The cash blitz authorised in Stuttgart saw Mercedes become the dominant force in F1 for almost a decade. The team won a record eight consecutive constructor titles together with seven drivers’ championships and to this day have the most significant number of 1-2 finishes when compared to the likes of Ferrari and McLaren who have entered double or treble the number of Grand Prix of the German branded team.
Yet for 2026 the rules of the powertrain game have been radically changed. Not merely in the fact that the new PU’s will have a 50/50 split in power output between the hybrid and internal combustion engine but in how the manufacturers must go about their design.
The manufacturers have been restricted in terms of R&D spending to around a tenth of the previous Mercedes budget. Further, resources are also restricted in terms of bench testing and dyno time as they are with aero development in the wind tunnel. The chance of one team becoming as dominant as Mercedes were in 2014 are much smaller and eventually Verstappen decided to stay put for next season and ‘wait and see.’
Despite all the Verstappen fervour, what was strange was that Toto Wolff refused for months to back his best driver. With two race wins and six other podium finishes, Russell has eclipsed by far his rookie team mate who has been tipped for greatness.
Shock return of Vettel in Brazil, but its not what you’d expect
Russell “hung out to dry”
George is fourth in the F1 driver standings with 258 points, whilst his team mate Kimi Antonelli is a distant P7 with just 97 points. The points ratio in terms of contribution to the team is towards the lower end of what would be expected from a rookie, although its undeniable the young Italian is a talent.
Wolff’s failure to back Russell during his pursuit of the world champion led to obvious rumours emerging that Verstappen was demanding a veto over who would be his Mercedes team mate. In all likelihood this was never the case, given Verstappen gives the impression he is all consumed with his own performance and his team mates are of little consequence due to his once in a generation levels of skill.
When asked ahead of the British Grand Prix whether he felt George was being treated fairly by Toto Wolff, certain F1 commentator Martin Brundle was clear with his opinion: “No, I don’t think he is,” Brundle replied.
“I think that he’s being hung out to dry a little bit. He’s doing a brilliant job of leading the Mercedes team. He’s picked up the mantle from Lewis Hamilton very well. It must be super uncomfortable for him, and a bit embarrassing that he’s sitting there waiting.”
Big Piastri accusation at Mclaren
Russell gets key contract demand
Reports emerged from Brackley that Wolff and Mercedes would sacrifice George Russell should Verstappen decide to switch allegiances and back their rookie driver who they believe is a world champion in waiting. Yet Russell was to get his revenge once Max made it clear he would remain at Red Bull in 2026 as it was his turn to drag out the negotiations.
Whilst his final deal negotiated remains the typical Wolff ‘one plus one’ year deal, often called ‘multi-year’, he did get s significant pay rise and a reduction in the media duties he is required to perform when away from the track. Yet his coup de grâce caem in the form of a performance clause, which should Verstappen decide to join the team come into play.
In Mexico Russell revealed: ”It is something I haven’t actually said publicly, but the deal is, if I’m performing [next year], we have a specific clause that if I reach [a target], we will automatically renew for 2027. So my seat for 2027 is in my hands,” this was something not even Lewis Hamilton could negotiate in his final deal with Mercedes.
“So I’m not being strung along here. We’re not going to be in the same position as we were six months ago. If I perform, and I don’t want to go into details, but if I perform, then 100 per cent I’ll be staying,” said Russell.
Verstappen Threat: McLaren Boss Reveals Hidden MCL39 Concerns
Wolff admits his “mistake” in courting Verstappen
Also in Mexico, George got the closest thing to an apology from his Austrian team boss who admitted to Sky F1 he had made a “mistake” although he was vague in exactly what that was. “The truth is that you’ve got to learn from the mistake,” said Wolff. “There wasn’t any on purpose flirting, it’s just a coincidence.
“It was clear that you need to have that conversation and then we ended up in the same place in the summer, which obviously doesn’t look good and is destabilising for everyone,” admitted the Mercedes boss.
It appears the Austrian doesn’t believe he’d gone far enough as he now reflects on how good his senior racing driver is by comparing him to his previous team mate, a seven times champion. “First of all, I think there was so much hype around Lewis leaving and an 18-year-old coming, and the risk that we were taking, but as a matter of fact, there was not so much risk because we had George,” he said at the Autosport Business Exchange New York.
“And in a way, he was always underrated in all of those years, maybe because of his more introverted personality. And then obviously if your team-mate is Lewis Hamilton, you won’t get a lot of, how can I say, percentage of eyeballs. I mean if George would have bought into the fashion style of Lewis, maybe it would have given him more photos, but that’s not how he is,” joked the Austrian.
Ferrari 2026 power unit “in trouble” says insider
Russell beat Hamilton in 2 of the 3 seasons together
George is the only Mercedes’ team mate during Hamilton’s twelve year tenure with the Brackley based team, who beat the seven times world champion more than one in a season. Even world champion Nico Rosberg only managed that in one in his four years alongside Lewis, George finished ahead of Hamilton in both his maiden year with the team in 2022 and in 2024.
Jenson Button is the only other driver to beat Hamilton in two of their three seasons together at McLaren.
Whilst Russell was “hung out to dry” and left embarrassed when questioned over his lack of contract on a weekly basis, the long term result has meant the negotiating power returned in his favour when indicated his future ambitions and George’s Mercedes future is now firmly in his own hands.
He must be delighted at the ‘sucking up’ of his team principal and is finally receiving recognition for his demolishment of champion driver Lewis Hamilton.
Colapinto to retain Alpine seat in 2026
The Alpine Team have become the Formula One championship’s whipping boys in 2025, anchored to the foot of the constructors’ standings with just 20 points to show for their efforts. The last points scored for the French owned team came before the summer break in Belgium, where Pierre Gasly scrapped home in tenth place.
This time last year in Brazil, Alpine had their best outing in terms of total points scored since Renault re-bought the team the team for the 2016 season with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finishing second and third respectively in a rain drenched Grand Prix.
The team named Renault/Alpine since 2016 has one Grand Prix victory in its trophy cabinet when back in 2021 Esteban Ocon’s lead was defended to the hilt by team mate Fernando Alonso who kept the charging Lewis Hamilton at bay in Hungary allowing his team mate to take the chequered flag…. 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.
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.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
