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Former F1 world champion Damon Hill gave a concise reaction to Mercedes driver George Russell's remark; Russell claimed that performance was the only currency for the drivers. The Brit has made a stunning start to the 2025 season and notched up three podiums out of the first five races.
The 27-year-old has inherited the role of the lead driver in the German team after the departure of former teammate and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season. Despite his blistering start, Russell's contract with the Brackley-based outfit expires at the end of the season.
George Russell mentioned that he was surprised by the talks of contract extension in the media so early in the year. The three-time F1 race winner spoke about the reality of contracts for drivers in the sport and told The Athletic:
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“When Lewis was here, they never discussed the contract prior to June (or) July. It was always the summer. The abnormal part is probably how many drivers have signed so early. I feel a lot of drivers who are so fixated on trying to secure their futures are maybe ones who don’t have as much self-belief in themselves and feel the need to have that security."
"The fact is, if you have a contract and you don’t perform, the team finds a way of getting rid of you. Performance is our only currency. And if you perform, the rest sorts itself out. When people aren’t satisfied, people want change. So, let’s see next year. I think it’ll be an interesting summer,” he added.
Damon Hill reposted Russell's comments on his Instagram story and gave a one-word reaction that read:
"Smart."
George Russell is currently P4 in the drivers' standings with 73 points but is yet to win a race this season.
George Russell chimes in on a possible title run in 2025
Mercedes driver George Russell said that he does not believe that he and his team could challenge McLaren and fight for a title in the 2025 season. The 27-year-old gave a gloomy prediction and told Motorsportweek:
“I’d love to say so, but I don’t think we are, to be honest. McLaren are just too dominant right now. I think this is probably going to be their peak performance. So we’ve got to keep on picking up the points, picking up the pieces."
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was the worst weekend of the season for Russell and Mercedes as they were off the pace of their rivals, Ferrari and Red Bull, and were no match for McLaren's pace either.
