George Russell has seemingly changed his tone on his Mercedes contract renewal, now that Max Verstappen announced his commitment to race with Red Bull in 2026. The Briton spoke about his situation with the team after the Hungarian GP podium, but was in no rush to sign the new contract.Russell emphasized that both parties would need to patiently arrive at new terms and that nothing would happen during the summer break. His statements were in slight contrast to those in mid-July, when rumors of Verstappen replacing him at Mercedes in 2026 were still swirling. Then, the 27-year-old had highlighted that a renewal should ideally be concluded before the summer break.However, in a fresh update after the Hungarian GP, George Russell spoke about the delayed timeline of negotiations with Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. He said, via Sky Sports:"I got to be honest, I'm going straight on holiday tonight... do 10 days off. He's (Toto Wolff) got nothing to be worried about. I've got nothing to be worried about. Nothing is gonna happen over summer, because honestly, I just wanna have a rest and recharge and come back stronger for the second half of the season.Though Russell couldn't give a deadline for the final contract renewal, he emphasized that it was only a matter of time."There is no time pressure right now. It'll happen when it'll happen. It's a when, not if. I'm 27 now, been with the team for four years. Next year would be my fifth. We want to build the relationship together, but it's gotta be right. I don't want to rush it. I've been waiting 12 months. I'm not gonna rush it in the course of two weeks. So we'll sit down when the time is right."George Russell's performance at the Hungaroring on Sunday was another reminder of his sheer pace and why Wolff signed him in the first place to replace 10-time Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas.Toto Wolff gives a straightforward verdict on George Russell's future with MercedesToto Wolff with George Russell at the F1 Grand Prix of Canada - Qualifying - Source: GettyAfter George Russell's Hungarian GP podium, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff reaffirmed his faith in his driver. He firmly spoke about the speculation surrounding the 27-year-old's contract for 2026 and beyond.When asked whether Russell's performance run has helped ease the negotiations, Wolff said, via PlanetF1:"Well, George has always had good cards, because he has delivered since 2018. There wasn’t a season he wasn’t there, and nothing changed that in our thinking for next year."So, just because you don’t talk outside doesn’t mean that things are progressing in your relationship internally, and when it comes to contract, let’s see. We will come out and say what kind of term we’ve put forward, but definitely, he’s staying," the Austrian emphasized.Ideally, there would be minimal or no movement on Russell's 2026 F1 contract, with all teams disassembling during the summer break.