13/06/2025 07:25
George Russell has no doubt his F1 future lies with Mercedes
despite acknowledging that Max Verstappen remains "on the radar" of
team principal Toto Wolff. Russell is out of contract at the end of
the season, and despite being three months and nine grands prix
into the campaign, the British driver has conceded that "no real
conversations" have started with Wolff as yet over a new deal. The
27-year-old, however, has performed superbly this season, scoring
four podiums in the first six races, although a miserable European
triple-header for the team has cast him 75 points adrift in the
drivers' title fight. Russell maintains that discussions over a new
contract are not a priority as Mercedes has "bigger fish to fry at
the moment, which is making our car go faster". Expressing
confidence in what he has achieved with the team in his three and a
half seasons, he added: "I know I'm going to be in Formula 1 next
year. "My intention and goal is to stay with Mercedes, and I think
that's very much the intention of Toto as well. There's no real
reason for either of us to deviate." Russell, though, is aware of
the constant speculation surrounding four-time F1 champion Max
Verstappen. It has been claimed that Verstappen has a clause in his
Red Bull contract, that runs through to the end of 2028, that if he
is not in the top three in the drivers' standings by a certain
point this summer, then he is free to negotiate an exit. Verstappen
has been linked with a move to Mercedes for a long time, and Wolff
has made no secret of his admiration for the 28-year-old. Russell,
who is 26 points behind Verstappen, knows the rumours around his
rival and Mercedes refuse to go away. The bottom line is, however,
he feels he has done enough to warrant an extension. "It's
understandable the likes of Max have always been on the radar,
because why wouldn't he be on the radar?" remarked Russell. "He's
one of the GOATs, and I get that. "But then it's down to you to
prove your worth, and I feel I've done that time and time again
over the course of seven years in F1, my whole career, so I've got
no concerns."
