Mercedes AMG Formula One driver George Russell has confirmed that he has not signed a contract extension for the 2026 season as the sport heads into the summer break. Russell’s current Mercedes contract ends at the end of 2025.
The topic of Russell’s contract has been ongoing for the last two months, given his revelation in June about Mercedes’ talks with Max Verstappen for a future signing. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff also admitted his interest in Verstappen, which reportedly paused discussions with Russell.
However, given Verstappen’s confirmation that he will continue racing for Red Bull in the future, Wolff stated that Mercedes’ direction for 2026 would be to field Russell and his teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. But, with the first half of the season having concluded, Wolff is yet to put pen to paper.
While Russell admitted that he has been waiting for a contract extension for 12 months, a hasty approach is not what he is looking forward to. He told the media:
Kym Illman/Getty Images
“He [Toto Wolff] has got nothing to be worried about, I’ve got nothing to be worried about. Nothing is going to happen over the summer because I just want to have a rest and recharge and come back stronger for the second half of the year but there’s no time pressure either way.
“It will happen when it happens, it’s a when not if. I’m 27 now, I’ve been with the team four years, next year would be my fifth and we want to build the relationship together but it’s got to be right and I don’t want to rush it. I’ve been waiting 12 months, I’m not going to just rush it in the course of two weeks so we’ll sit down when the time is right.”
Russell has proven his worth on several race weekends, showcasing the results he can produce with a fast car that suits him. The 2024 season saw him outperform his former teammate Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers’ Standings, and in 2025, he is currently placed fourth in the standings with 172 points, 15 points adrift of Verstappen in P3 with 187 points.
Addressing Russell’s contract extension delay, former Mercedes driver and Sky Sports F1 presenter Nico Rosberg, who raced with the Brackley-based team from 2010 to 2016, noted similar experiences with Wolff from his racing days. He said:
“Toto’s horrible to negotiate with, because his tactic is to disappear. So when you try… like George now, he’s trying to get hold of him, Toto will disappear… George will be trying to write Toto to get him [to get] a move on, or whatever, and Toto disappears.”
He added:
“By the way, this is not a fact; this is just me making it up. But I remember from my time that was his style, just like disappearing, not answering, being hard to reach… and it’s horrible, because you’re like, ‘come on!’
“You have nothing, you have no chance… do whatever you can; you need to find a way to cross paths.”