09/08/2025 16:35
George Russell enters the F1 summer break still without a contract
for 2026, despite an excellent start to the season. Russell has
quickly become Mercedes' team leader following the exit of Lewis
Hamilton at the end of last year, and has delivered some of his
strongest performances yet. In the opening 14 rounds, the Briton
has secured six podiums, only beaten by the McLaren duo of Oscar
Piastri and Lando Norris. He finds himself fourth in the drivers'
standings on 172 points and in a battle with Max Verstappen for
third in the championship. With teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli
having scored just 16 points in the last eight races, Russell has
kept the Brackley-based team in the fight for second in the teams'
championship, yet still has no deal for next season. The Canadian
Grand Prix winner faced much speculation in recent weeks that he
would be replaced by Verstappen, following confirmation that Toto
Wolff was speaking to the Dutchman. However, the four-time world
champion confirmed ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix that he will
remain with Red Bull next season. As a result, Wolff has insisted a
new deal will be handed to Russell soon. Does Russell deserve a
new contract? Have your say by voting in the poll below!
