George Russell is out of contract at the end of this year but neither he nor Mercedes have been in a rush to put pen to paper on an extension, causing intrigue in the F1 paddock
George Russell said he has yet to hold contract talks despite approaching the final six months of his Mercedes deal. And the Brit has been the subject of increasing speculation over his future as a result of his expiring contract.
Russell has become team leader at Mercedes since Lewis Hamilton left and has enjoyed an impressive start to life in that new role. Yet, he admits there has been no movement in terms of landing a contract renewal, though he remains calm on that front.
“No real conversations, to be honest, because we’ve got bigger fish to fry at the moment, which is making our car go faster,” Russell said when asked about his future ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
“I know I’m going to be in Formula 1 next year. My intention and goal is to stay with Mercedes and I think that’s very much the intention of Toto [Wolff, team principal] as well, to be honest. There’s no real reason for either of us to deviate.”
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Russell is now partnered by teenage starlet Kimi Antonelli, who Mercedes feel can go on to become an F1 superstar in the future. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has been heavily linked with the Silver Arrows in recent months, should he decide to walk away from Red Bull.
It has been predicted that Mercedes would rather let go of Russell than allow Antonelli to slip through their grasp, if they were to land the Dutchman. But the Brit remains unconcerned about the prospect of losing his place to the four-time F1 champion.
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He said: “It’s understandable the likes of Max have always been on the radar, because why wouldn’t he be on the radar? He’s one of the greatest of all time and I get that.
“But then it’s down to you to prove your worth and I feel I’ve done that time and time again over the course of seven years in F1 and my whole career. So I’ve got no concerns.”
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While there was a time earlier in the season when the prospect of Verstappen walking away from Red Bull was more plausible, but the chances of him doing so have faded. He is highly unlikely to be able the performance clauses in his contract that would allow him to leave this summer, even if he did decide he wants a fresh start.
So there should be no barrier between Russell and Mercedes when negotiating a contract extension. Though if, for whatever reason, no agreement is reached, both Red Bull and Aston Martin are understood to have made informal approaches to the Brit and could be interested in trying to lure him away from the Silver Arrows.