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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has assured that George Russell is going to continue to stay at the team, even though the imminent announcement has not yet happened. The young British driver has been a part of the team since his junior days when he was picked up by the academy.
Since then, the driver has continued to grow by leaps and bounds and get better. In 2022, he was promoted to Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton, and in this three-year partnership, Russell has proven his status as a top-tier talent.
His current extension with Mercedes was coming to an end in 2025, and an announcement about his future was expected to be made early in the season. With Max Verstappen suddenly becoming available, Toto Wolff decided to wait and see what could be done with the Dutch driver.
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Even George Russell revealed in Canada that Mercedes was talking to Max Verstappen. However, with Red Bull and the 4x F1 champion confirming their future together for 2026, there was an assumption that the Brit's contract announcement would be imminent.
As it turns out, it hasn't happened. Talking to the media, including Sportskeeda, Toto Wolff revealed that George Russell was going to be with the team in 2026 for sure. He said,
"Well, George has always had good cards, because he has delivered since 2018. There wasn’t a season he wasn’t there, and nothing changed that in our thinking for next year."
He added,
"So, just because you don’t talk outside doesn’t mean that things are progressing in your relationship internally, and when it comes to contract, let’s see. We will come out and say what kind of term we’ve put forward, but definitely, he’s staying. The team is strong. He has shown it today again.”
George Russell not worried about Mercedes contract extension
George Russell, on the other hand, has made it clear that he's not worried about the contract extension. In a surprise change of tone, the British driver is now not too eager to sign the dotted line. Talking to the media, Russell showed a different side where he wasn't eager to announce anything anytime soon. He said,
"I’ve waited so long, and I think now I want to get through this weekend. I want to go on a holiday next week and enjoy the break, and there is no time pressure my side. There is no time pressure from the team’s side. So whenever we come to an agreement, we’ll get it done, but it’s got to be right both ways.”
It would be interesting to see what the sticking point could be that has caused this delay. A possible concern could be the duration of the contract, but it remains to be seen if that is the case.
