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Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has shared a straightforward message to Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff about George Russell's contract renewal. The Colombian has asked Wolff to forget about the possibility of waiting for Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull and potentially sign him for the Silver Arrows.
The biggest snag in Wolff's contract negotiations with Russell seems to be the duration of the renewal. The Brackley outfit is hesitant to hand the Briton a multi-year contract, which seemingly stems from Wolff wanting to keep his options open for 2027 should Verstappen leave Red Bull after next year if they underperform under the new technical regulations.
However, Juan Pablo Montoya feels George Russell can be at Max Verstappen's level in the future, and that's why Toto Wolff needs to finalize the Briton's contract renewal immediately.
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"I don't know what Toto Wolff is thinking, but Russell has already shown that Mercedes doesn't need Verstappen at all," said Montoya in his podcast for AS. "They already have Russell, and he could be as good as Verstappen in the future. This actually shows Wolff saying, 'We need someone for the future.' But Russell is that person."
At the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, Wolff told Sky Sports that the team was "super near" to finalizing George Russell's contract and that "contract-wise, good things take a while."
Montoya feels Mercedes has lost leverage in George Russell's contract negotiations
Juan Pablo Montoya also opined that Mercedes has lost a considerable amount of leverage in its contract negotiations with George Russell as the 27-year-old's performance continues to rise. In 2025, he has won two races, including converting pole to victory at the Singapore GP, in a season where Mercedes has been third in the pecking order at best.
Moreover, there is no free agent in the F1 driver market for 2026 whose performance can be compared to Russell.
"The way Russell is performing now, he is forcing Mercedes to say, 'Whatever he wants, we will have to give in,'" Montoya said. "He has had two wins this year with a car that, in theory, was not even able to win."
The Silver Arrows are expected to have the best power units and lead the constructors' battle in 2026 under the new technical regulations. This potentially sets George Russell up for his first time battling for the drivers' championship.
A recent report claimed that Russell was ready to sign a 1+1 deal only if there was a clause in it that automatically extended his stay at Mercedes if he outperformed teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli next year. With his experience over his rookie teammate and the team's expected position at the top of the constructors' table, Russell could easily trigger that clause.
