Yesterday at 09:15
George Russell has confirmed a new contract with Mercedes is now a
matter of "when, not if" ahead of jetting away on holiday.
Russell's contract saga, and that of team-mate Kimi Antonelli, has
been one of the major talking points over the past few weeks after
the Briton confirmed that his negotiations were being held up by
team boss Toto Wolff talking with Max Verstappen. The indication
was that Verstappen had a clause in his contract that would allow
him to leave Red Bull if he was not in the top three in the
drivers' standings by the summer break. As the mid-point of the
season rumbled on, Russell and Antonelli were seemingly left in
limbo by Wolff's discussions with the four-time F1 champion. It was
only when it became clear after the Belgian Grand Prix that
Verstappen could not be caught for third position - ironically by
Russell - that Wolff's tune changed when asked about the Dutch
driver, indicating that he was merely looking at options.
Verstappen also confirmed on Thursday, ahead of the weekend's race
in Hungary, that he was committed to Red Bull for 2026. As for next
season, the understanding is that Verstappen has to be in the top
two by the summer break to remain committed to Red Bull for 2027;
otherwise, Mercedes and others may come calling if its rival
struggles with its own power unit, given the rule change. Russell,
who confirmed after finishing third in the Hungarian Grand Prix
that he was immediately flying away on holiday for 10 days, did so
with his mind at rest. "He [Wolff] has got nothing to be worried
about. I've got nothing to be worried about," said Russell,
speaking to Sky Sports F1 . "Nothing's going to happen over the
summer because, honestly, I just want to have a rest and recharge
and come back stronger for the second half of the year. "But
there's no time pressure either way now. So it'll happen when it
will happen. It's a when, not if. "I'm 27 now, and I've been with
the team for four years. Next year would be my fifth. We want to
build the relationship together, but it's got to be right, and I
don't want to rush it. "I've been waiting 12 months. I'm not going
to rush it in the course of two weeks. So we'll sit down when the
time is right."
