German media claims George Russell on the verge of getting a contract extension with Mercedes

Reportedly, Mercedes driver George Russell is on the verge of signing a contract extension with the German team. The British driver has impressed everyone with his eye-catching performances in the first half of the 2025 season, which include a race victory at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Despite his consistent performances, Russell has yet to sign a contract for the 2026 season, as the Brackley-based outfit has been monitoring the situation regarding Max Verstappen and Red Bull.

With Verstappen reportedly poised to continue his association with the Austrian team for next year, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has shared that he would shift his focus to his driver lineup, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

A breakthrough in the negotiations between the four-time F1 race winner and the former world champions was reported, as per AMuS. A new deal would be imminent in the coming weeks. Despite the rumors of Verstappen potentially joining the team next year, Russell was relaxed about his future in the sport, as he told the media on multiple occasions.

The King's Lynn-born native had initially joined Mercedes at the start of the 2022 season after spending three years at Williams F1 from 2019 to 2021.

George Russell comments on his contract negotiations with Mercedes

Mercedes driver George Russell claimed that he was not too fussed about his contract situation with the German team, as he believed that the facts were on his side.

Speaking with Sky Sports ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, the 27-year-old provided an update and said:

"I don't lose any sleep over it, I don't really think about it, because as I've always said the best thing you can do is drive fast on track. Obviously, we are talking in the background. There's nothing for me to be concerned about whatsoever, but there's nothing to announce. The situation we find ourselves in now, I don't think, is abnormal.

"I'm performing the best I've ever performed. I have the majority of the points for the team. So, if you look at the facts, you would argue my job is safe. That's why I'm not concerned at all. If I stop performing, maybe I need to be concerned, but I need to be more concerned about my performance, not about my future."

When asked if he was bothered by the Max Verstappen talks, George Russell added:

"Everybody talks. There are long-term futures at play as well. For drivers, the teams are not just thinking about one year in front, you're thinking about two, three, four, five years ahead."

George Russell is just 18 points behind Max Verstappen in the standings and has scored an equal number of podiums in the 2025 season thus far.