16/10/2025 22:45
George Russell has deflected a question about his long-term
Mercedes F1 future, despite agreeing to a contract extension. On
Wednesday, it was announced by Mercedes that Russell and Kimi
Antonelli would be continuing on at the team for the 2026 season,
but the official press release contained no mention of an agreement
for 2027 and beyond. Although it is understood Russell has penned
a multi-year deal, the public absence of any details for 2027 has
led to speculation that Toto Wolff could restart his chase for Max
Verstappen and complete the signing of the long-time target from
Red Bull. Wolff's chase of Verstappen was a stumbling block during
summer negotiations, with Russell publicly stating that the team
was talking with the Dutchman, before a clause in his contract
expired which would have allowed him to stay. Since then, it became
clear Russell would be staying with the Silver Arrows, but when
asked how sure he was that he would still be with the team for the
2027 season, Russell deflected and spoke about his 2026 targets.
"Well, I think it always just comes down to performance. I think
for any driver, or at least myself, what allows me to sleep well at
night is knowing that my performances are strong," he told media,
including RacingNews365 , in Austin. "That is what will keep you
in the sport as any driver. Our intention and my goal is to
continue with Mercedes, and definitely, we're here to focus on
winning in 2026. "Because the truth is, if every single seat was
available for next year, and I could choose any single team to race
for, I believe Mercedes is my best chance of winning the
championship. "For me, it is more about winning than it is about
money or sponsor days or anything. I want to win, and this is what
I'm fighting for, so that is the long and short of it."
