29/07/2025 08:20
George Russell will "sleep well" during F1's summer break over his
Mercedes F1 future, says boss Toto Wolff. Russell is currently out
of contract with Mercedes at the end of the 2025 season and talks
over a fresh deal have not yielded a positive result for the
Briton, as the team tries to sign Max Verstappen for '26. Team-mate
Kimi Antonelli's agreement also expires at the end of the current
campaign, but it is Russell who had been expected to make way if
Verstappen was signed. However, Wolff's interest in signing the
reigning world champion appears to have cooled for 2026, stating
that his "absolute priority" is to continue with a
Russell-Antonelli line-up as Verstappen looks set to stay with Red
Bull for the first year of F1's sweeping regulation change. As for
Russell, Wolff believes Russell will be able to relax and "sleep
well" over the looming summer shutdown. "As a driver, he is so
mature and stable that I don't think it makes any difference to his
performance," Wolff told Sky Sports F1 of the uncertainty around
Russell's position. "On the contrary, I would have wished to have
him in a safe place a little bit earlier, but we haven't managed to
do that. "But I am optimistic that he is going to sleep well over
the summer break." The latest round of Verstappen-to-Mercedes
rumours was started in earnest by Russell during a recent
interview, where he revealed discussions were taking place.
Addressing that, Wolff felt Russell wanted to show he was 'in the
know' about the full situation. "He triggered the whole media
avalanche, and I might be naive, but I try to be transparent with
the drivers," he added. "I said to him: 'Listen, I have the
obligation of exploring what Max is going to do in the next few
years,' and I think he just came out with it, wanting to show: 'I
am aware of what is going on and there is nothing happening behind
my back,' and I am fine with that."
