George Russell's contract extension with Mercedes: What "multi-year deal into 2027" means

George Russell is now officially a Mercedes driver for the 2026 F1 season, as the team has announced that it will continue with the pair for next season. In what is arguably one of the stranger press releases, the German team announced that the duo would continue into the next year, but there was no mention of whether a multi-year contract had been signed or not.

Up until now, as everyone who has followed the story knows, the main sticking point has been clear when it comes to George Russell, and it has been around the length of the contract. With Toto Wolff's very explicit interest in Max Verstappen, the British driver has found himself in an uncomfortable spot where his head-turning performances have not yielded the kind of accolades one would expect.

As the Mercedes announcement has been made, the one thing that has stood out more than everything else is the accompanying reports that state the driver has a contract duration "that goes into the 2027 season." So what are the reports stating, and what does it essentially mean for George Russell? Let's take a look.

What the reports state

As soon as the announcement was made, multiple publications, including The Race, The Athletic, The Telegraph, and others, have claimed that George Russell has signed a multiple-year deal, with the contract's length going into 2027.

The wording here is the crucial part because what it means here is that the driver has a contract that goes beyond next season. However, the fine print that involves the exit clauses and the options is not mentioned.

Many key F1 journalists like Jon Noble have assumed here (and rightly so) that the deal is potentially a scenario where both parties have their options open for 2026. In essence, Russell has been signed on a 1+1 contract.

What it means for George Russell

In essence, it is a disappointing outcome for George Russell. The driver has a contract for 2026, but he would have to keep one eye behind his shoulder should Max Verstappen become available.

What the 2025 F1 season has already shown is that it doesn't matter how good or bad George Russell is on track or in terms of results either; Toto Wolff has his sights set on bringing Max Verstappen to Mercedes, and he's not going to budge.

If Mercedes does nail the regulations next season, it is a double-edged sword for Russell because on one hand, it would give him the opportunity to win the title next season. At the same time, it would also attract Max Verstappen's attention, something that puts his future in doubt.

He is essentially 'biting' the bullet

A few days back, we wrote the article suggesting how George Russell should bite the bullet and sign whatever terms Mercedes is offering to him. It does appear that it is exactly what he has done at this moment.

The driver knew he had no option on the table, and dragging this on made no sense whatsoever. By signing the contract, he's backing himself to once again prove what he's capable of in an F1 car and use that to leverage either a future with Mercedes in 2027 or a possibly different destination.

It is unfortunate for the British driver, but at the same time, it's safe to say that trying to pursue Max Verstappen for your team is an approach not many can find fault in.