George Russell unsure over his long-term Mercedes future despite his clear goal

George Russell has recently spoken about his long-term goal as he touched on the uncertainty surrounding his future with Mercedes. The 27-year-old detailed how he still remains unsure about the contract length he will be receiving at the German outfit ahead of the expiration of his current deal.

The British driver, who is currently in the final year of his deal at Mercedes, touched on his future during his media interaction ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend. Russell stressed how, despite not having a contract yet, his goal remains to win with the German team. He said (via Motorsport):

“My goal is to win with Mercedes, it's clear as that, but it is not yet known if that will translate into a multi-year contract extension, or one that just covers the 2026 campaign.”

Speaking further on his future, George Russell continued:

“You've got to look at what would be beneficial for you, but also what the risks are. So, you've got to play that risk/reward scenario. I am loyal to Mercedes because we've supported one another so much over these years, and as I said, I want to win with Mercedes, but everything has to be right and everything has to be aligned.

“So, whether that means it's a one-year, whether that means it's multi-year, that's sort of what we're in the process of discussing now and going from there.”

George Russell has witnessed his immediate future become a topical issue in recent months. The former Williams Racing driver himself stirred the conversation about his future when he revealed to the media during the Canadian Grand Prix that the Mercedes team were in conversation with Max Verstappen over the possibility of the four-time world champion joining them.

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George Russell reveals his concern was for Antonelli amid Verstappen’s links

George Russell also detailed his concerns were primarily about who his teammates would be for the 2026 season at Mercedes, amid talks of Max Verstappen joining the team. The four-time Grand Prix winner stressed how, amid the rumours, he was assured he would be continuing at the Brackley-based team.

Russell witnessed his future clouded with uncertainty, with numerous reports of the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, reportedly in talks with Verstappen. Sharing his thoughts about how he felt during the period of the swirling talks that heralded his future for much of the summer, he stated (via the aforementioned source):

“No, not at all, to be honest. It was more of a question of who my teammate was going to be. I think I'm quite rational about how this sport works, and the team felt like they didn't need to sign a deal. I didn't really feel I needed to push it so much when it got to a certain point. I believe in myself more than ever.”

Prior to Toto Wolff confirming Russell and Kimi Antonelli would be handed a contract at the Mercedes team soon, talks had surfaced about who could be set to leave the team in case Verstappen joined from Red Bull Racing. This is especially considering Mercedes are well invested in Antonelli’s future, and Russell is currently in his best form since joining the team.