Toto Wolff explains the delay in George Russell's contract extension with Mercedes

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff opened up about the delay in George Russell's contract renewal. Speaking about it during the Dutch GP, Wolff stated that the negotiation part was over and they were "only talking about formalities."

Mercedes had a change in driver line-up this year after Lewis Hamilton decided to move to Ferrari at the end of last season. As a result, the Silver Arrows brought in rookie driver Kimi Antonelli to race alongside Russell in 2025.

While Mercedes managed the 2025 season with the aforementioned drivers, the permanent line-up for the next season is still unknown as Russell and Antonelli's contracts expire at the end of this season, and they have yet to receive a contract renewal. While Antonelli has an option to extend his contract in 2026 and beyond, it is not the same for Russell.

Despite performing at his very best and being the de facto leader of the team after Hamilton's departure, Russell did not receive any contract extension from Mercedes. According to reports, Russell's contract renewal could have been around the British GP, his home race.

However, there has been no update about the renewal even after the summer break. When asked about the delay, Toto Wolff, who showed an immense interest in Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in the last few weeks, stated that they were talking about formalities, as the negotiation part seemed to be over.

"You know, we're talking just about formalities," Wolff told Sky Sports F1 during the Dutch GP. "It's not even a negotiation anymore... And we didn't want to discuss that over the summer break, although we were not far from each other. We wanted to be out of each other's faces in terms of contract talk, rather than enjoy the downtime."

George Russell joined Mercedes in 2022, as he replaced Alfa Romeo-bound Valtteri Bottas. He raced for three seasons alongside Lewis Hamilton, and the ongoing season is his fourth in the Brackley-based team.

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George Russell shared his thoughts on Mercedes contract renewal

George Russell opened up about his Mercedes contract renewal and stated that he was never in doubt about his future with the Silver Arrows despite the reports of Toto Wolff's interest in Max Verstappen. Speaking about this, here's what the British driver said:

George Russell of Mercedes-AMG Petronas runs during the free practice of the Dutch GP - Source: Getty

"No, not at all, to be honest. It was more of a question of who my team-mate was going to be. I think I'm quite rational to 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."

“I've always believed in myself, and my results have always shown that. It's not just the form of this year, but through my whole career since the age of 10 years old. So, yeah, if you back yourself and if you perform, you'll never have anything to worry about," Russell further added. (Via Motorsport.com)

George Russell is currently in P4 in the Drivers' Championship with 172 points after 14 races and three Sprints. His teammate, Kimi Antonelli, is in P7 with 64 points. Mercedes are in P3 in the Drivers' Championship with 236 points.