George Russell concedes his 'destiny' is in Mercedes' hands

George Russell believes that Mercedes holds the keys to his future in Formula 1 beyond 2026. Speaking to onsite media in Belgium, the British driver expressed confidence that contract negotiations would unfold naturally over time.

With speculation surrounding Mercedes’ pursuit of Max Verstappen for 2026 and beyond, Russell’s contract status has come under the spotlight. Managed by Toto Wolff, who also serves as team principal of the Silver Arrows, Russell’s future appears closely tied to the team’s broader driver strategy.

Russell acknowledged that Mercedes effectively controls his destiny in the sport and insisted he isn’t preoccupied with contract talks heading into the Belgian GP. According to him, the uncertainty has stirred more external discussion than internal concern. He shared that the recent two-week break had helped him reset both mentally and physically ahead of the double-header and emphasised that he’s in no rush to decide his long-term future.

Commenting on the subject of his contract with Mercedes for 2026, George Russell said:

“Everything will work itself out in due course. I'm managed by Mercedes, and my destiny is in their hands. The conversation has been ongoing but not sort of directly with me - there's a lot more hype around it externally than there is internally. The truth is I'm not even [thinking about it], I think about it on a Thursday because you guys asked me questions, but these past few months have sort of allowed me to think how I feel about a scenario like this and you can choose to stress about it, you can choose to try and secure your future or you can choose not to worry about it and focus on the things such as performance, which secures your future for you so right now.”

“These two weeks off have been great to reset sort of psychologically and mentally. I feel happier probably now than I was in the months gone by and at peace with everything that's that's going on and I'm just thinking about race by race and I'm in no rush to secure my, my future.”

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George Russell admits not having a contract yet with Mercedes

George Russell believes that Mercedes has yet to finalise a contract with him, despite initial intentions to have something in place before the summer break. He suggested that ongoing discussions are now focused on ironing out finer details, which could take additional time.

Russell acknowledged that the decision ultimately lies with Mercedes and team principal Toto Wolff, and that he is not in a position to drive the process himself. Instead, he described his role as being reactive, waiting to respond to the choices the team makes regarding his future.

Speaking about his contract and the deadlines to finalise details with Mercedes, George Russell said:

“The intention was always pre-summer break, because that’s just people go into summer and you want to get something sorted. Realistically, is that going to be the case? I don’t know. There is still no contract on the table. So to have something done in the space of two weeks isn’t likely. You need to talk about finer details, and Formula 1’s evolving so much now, you need to go through everything with a fine-tooth comb to make sure it’s all okay. But as I said, there is no rush, really, from my side, because ultimately, Toto and the team will decide what they wish to do, and I will be in a position of reacting to what they wish to do. So I’m just focusing on performance and everything else will sort itself out.”

George Russell finds himself in a tricky position regarding his contract for 2026, whether with Mercedes or another team. If Max Verstappen were to move to Mercedes, it could open a seat at Red Bull, should they choose to look beyond their existing talent pool. Outside of that, the only other potential vacancies lie with Alpine and new entrant Cadillac, who will join the grid in 2026. Despite having secured a race win and multiple podiums, the Briton’s future in Formula 1 remains uncertain for now.