08/06/2025 15:15
George Russell has acknowledged "nothing is certain" as he looks to
secure his F1 future with Mercedes and challenge for his maiden
championship. Russell's contract expires at the end of the current
campaign, leading to speculation he could be dropped in favour of
Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The Dutchman has a deal in place until
2028 but performance clauses exist in his contract, placing his
future in doubt amid Red Bull's slump in form this year. Mercedes
boss Toto Wolff publicly pursued Verstappen last year as he
searched for a Lewis Hamilton replacement. While Wolff's interest
has seemingly cooled in recent months, Russell has accepted his own
position is not completely intact. "No, it's not safe," Russell
told motorsport-total . "Nothing is certain. "But if I stay with
Mercedes, next year will be my fifth year with the team. Nobody
knows when their time will come. "You just have to make sure that
you keep performing consistently, keep delivering. And what happens
then - only time will tell." Russell arrived at Mercedes in 2022 -
right when it slipped back in the pecking order amid the
introduction of fresh regulations. However, the Brackley-based
squad is being tipped to begin 2026 on a strong foot with another
regulation shake-up. As he looks to stick around with Mercedes on a
fresh deal, Russell is hopeful the next era under new technical
rules will present him the opportunity to compete for his first
title. "Look at Fernando [Alonso]: He comes in, wins two titles in
his first four years - and people say, 'He's going to get ten',"
Russell said. "He hasn't won a title since. Or Sebastian [Vettel]:
He wins four - and then no more. If you look at Michael Schumacher,
it took him five years at Ferrari before he won his first title
there. "This is now my fourth year at Mercedes, next year will be
my fifth."
