Yesterday at 15:15
George Russell has put the pressure on Mercedes to make 2026 "a
success" after finally agreeing a new contract with the team. The
Briton agreed a new deal with the Brackley squad ahead of the
United States Grand Prix, bringing to an end the contract saga
which had been rumbling on throughout the summer, with boss Toto
Wolff exploring the opportunity to sign Max Verstappen. Once it
became clear that Verstappen was staying at Red Bull for 2026,
Russell's extension was deemed a formality, but official
confirmation was lacking. The five-time grand prix winner has been
re-signed to lead Mercedes into the 2026 rules overhaul, with the
team widely expected to be one of the leading contenders given the
scale of changes being made to the power units and its success in
the turbo-hybrid era. Reflecting on his announcement, in which the
contract length was not disclosed, alongside team-mate Kimi
Antonelli, Russell insisted the team was focusing on ensuring 2026
would be "a success." "I am really proud to be continuing our
journey together, next year will mark my 10th, since I signed with
Mercedes back in 2017," Russell explained. "It has been such a long
and successful partnership with the team so far. "I can't wait to
see what lies ahead, particularly as we embark on one of the
largest regulation changes in the sport's history next year. "We
are all incredibly focused on making that a success and, for me
personally, building on what has been my strongest season in F1 to
date."
