18/04/2025 10:40
George Russell has spoken out on rumours that he is set to sign a
new two-year deal to stay with Mercedes, whilst Max Verstappen
remains a possibility for Toto Wolff. It was reported ahead of the
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix by the Italian arm of Motorsport.com that
Russell will sign a new two-year deal – with an option for a third
– worth $30 million a season. Russell is out of contract at the end
of 2025, with Verstappen having been linked with his seat based on
the current issues he is facing with Red Bull's RB21. The Mercedes
driver is not concerned about his future and remains very relaxed,
although is aware of how important it is that he continues to
perform. "From my side, there's literally no stress, no worries
whatsoever," Russell told Sky Sports F1 . "When it comes to
contracts, everyone gets so excited about it, and the fact is,
drivers have had contracts, and if they don't perform, they'll get
booted out. "For drivers, performance is our currency. That's what
we've got. And if you perform, everything's good. So, I'm just
excited to go racing this weekend, focus on performance, and the
future sorts itself out." The King's Lynn-born driver did address
the circulating report over his supposed new deal, but insisted
that contract talks do not take place for at least another month.
"Rumours are never that truthful are they," said Russell. "When you
said rumours, I didn't really listen so much. A few of them are
reasonably close, I guess, but at the end of the day, we've never
discussed a contract prior to May or June in a season." No Russell
contract length preference Whether Russell signs a new contract or
not, he is not overly bothered by the duration of the deal.
Several drivers, including Verstappen, have long-term contracts;
however, as identified by Russell, they all have exit clauses which
allow for an early departure. "I'd say the more abnormal point is
how many drivers have these, sort of, long-term deals," pointed out
the Briton. "But everyone's got exit clauses, they've all got
performance clauses. A driver that's on a three-year contract, it
doesn't really mean anything if they've got an exit clause, or the
team has an exit clause if the driver doesn't perform. It doesn't
really mean a lot. "If you've got a contract with a team but the
team wants you gone, the team finds a way to get you gone. "That's
how this sport works, and that's how it should work because we're
20 of the best in the world and it's ruthless. There's no time to
mess around. All you can do is focus on driving fast."
