George Russell Mercedes future secure, but what delayed his deal?

After months of waiting, Mercedes has finally formally confirmed that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will remain with the team for F1 2026.

It’s not a surprise, given that team boss Toto Wolff has verbally confirmed the intent to stick with the pair for next year, but what might have caused the hold-up in getting the deals across the line?

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to stay at Mercedes

On Wednesday, Mercedes put an end to the seemingly interminable wait to confirm Russell and Antonelli for next year, a duo that’s been expected ever since it became clear that Mercedes would not succeed in tempting Max Verstappen to find a way out of his Red Bull contract for F1 2026.

Once the Dutch driver had reaffirmed his commitment to Red Bull, a change at Mercedes was unlikely given the form shown by Russell and the potential of Antonelli, but it still took some three months more to formally confirm that it would be the same duo behind the wheels of the W17s next year.

“Confirming our driver line-up was always just a matter of when, not if,” Wolff said in the announcement, which came a week after Russell’s dominant drive to victory to secure the team’s second grand prix victory of F1 2025 in Singapore.

“We wanted to take our time, handle the negotiations properly, and make sure everyone, on all sides, was happy. I’m pleased we have done that.

“George and Kimi have proved a strong pairing, and we’re excited to continue our journey together. Our focus is now on the final six races of the year, as we fight for second in the Constructors’, and onwards to 2026 and a new era in F1.”

It’s a formidable pairing, too. Russell is coming off the back of a Verstappen-esque performance in Singapore, where he dominated the event to take pole position and leave the Dutch driver in his dust on race day.

Antonelli has been less assured this year, but, at just 19 years old, appears to have huge potential given the flashes of latent speed he’s shown this year.

Both are graduates of Mercedes‘ driver academy programme, with Russell having joined in 2017, and Antonelli in ’19, with both winning multiple titles en route to Formula 1.

While no contract lengths have been specified, sources close to the situation have indicated that Russell’s deal is a multi-year agreement, with this providing a further hint that Antonelli’s contract may be just for 2026.

However, the lack of transparency regarding the length of contracts, particularly in Russell’s case, is an interesting detail; if Russell is the driver for the medium to long-term entrusted with delivering titles when the car is capable, why isn’t this fact being shouted from the rooftops in the same way that Ferrari has done with Charles Leclerc, Red Bull with Verstappen, and McLaren with its two drivers?

The Max Verstappen element

Verstappen to Mercedes rumours have been around ever since the Milton Keynes-based squad hit a dip in performance during 2024.

Ahead of the summer break, Russell himself provided fuel for the rumours linking Verstappen and Brackley, telling Sky F1 directly that Mercedes was chasing “the best drivers” amid ongoing conversations with the Dutch driver, something that may have played a part in the initial delay in reaching an agreement.

“But from my side, if I’m performing as I’m doing, what have I got to be concerned about? There are two seats in every Formula 1 team,” he said.

From Wolff’s side, the Austrian made it clear that there was “nothing” more Russell needed to show in order to convince him that he is the right driver to lead the team forward.

“He’s always performed to the expectations that we have set, and he’s continued to do so,” Wolff said.

“We haven’t given him a car to win a World Championship in the last three years, so that’s completely on us.

“And the times the car has been good, he has been winning races. You know that when he’s getting in the car, he’s going to extract what is in the car.”

In Hungary, with Verstappen confirmed as off the table, Wolff revealed that full transparency with Russell was the approach taken to negotiations.

“I’ve always said I’m happy with my team, with Russell and Kimi Antonelli, but suddenly Max’s future became uncertain, and so we spoke to him too,” he said.

“But I was always very clear with George: 90 per cent he would stay with us, but I also needed to talk to Verstappen.

“Now the situation is clarified and everything can return to normal.”

As for Russell himself, the 27-year-old never gave an impression of wishing to find a new home elsewhere, and there’s good logic behind this.

With the rulebook being upturned next year, and Mercedes’ proven proficiency at nailing new engine regulations in the hybrid era, the Brackley-based squad is one of the safer places to be for any driver aspiring to greatness in the coming years.

However, it still took quite a long time to reach a formal agreement, as negotiations turned to working out “the finer details.”

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What might have been the ‘finer details’ in George Russell/Mercedes negotiations?

Somewhat unusually, Russell’s affairs are managed by Mercedes, the team with whom he races and thus needs to negotiate with for his future; Antonelli is in a similar position, albeit in a weaker position given his lack of proven track record of success.

Indications during the summer were that the stumbling points between Russell and Mercedes could have been regarding the number of marketing days a driver must put in with team sponsors, a critical part of a team’s relationship with its partners.

Typically, a more successful driver will seek to bring this number down as much as possible, whilst also seeking remuneration in line with their perceived value.

While not a World Champion, Russell proved during his existing contract to have the legs on seven-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, as well as being capable of beating top-rated drivers such as Verstappen, Leclerc, and McLaren’s Lando Norris; all of whom are believed to be on considerably higher pay packets.

It stands to reason that Russell would have sought a significant salary revision for his new deal, believed to be circa £30million per annum, as well as bringing his marketing requirements closer to what might be expected of the sport’s accepted elite drivers; a group Russell has proven he has the talent to be included in, even if outright success remains just out of reach.

But, as referenced above, was it a case of Russell seeking to ensure that his long-term future at Mercedes is secure, even against the possibility of Verstappen suddenly deciding Red Bull isn’t his home anymore?

This is where the confirmation of a multi-year deal would shut down any possibility that Russell could go anywhere as early as 2027, and would instead put all the pressure on Antonelli during his sophomore year; theoretically, this could be the position Mercedes hopes to avoid, or simply the optics of having its contract durations out in the open if the two drivers are on differing length deals.

However, the lack of public shouting suggests that Russell could well have signed a deal encompassing multiple years, but with this being an ‘option’ deal with all sorts of caveats, on both sides, to trigger a claim for anything beyond the first year together.

If it is a straightforward 2+ year deal that, for some reason, isn’t being widely publicised, Russell’s position will be safe even if Verstappen does decide he fancies a switch, and the mouthwatering possibility of a Russell/Verstappen partnership for 2027 emerges.

“Already last year you could understand how much he had matured, but obviously he was always in the shadow of a champion like Hamilton,” Wolff praised Russell earlier this year.

“When Lewis left, [George] took on a leading role in a very natural way, showing performance that is even beyond the possibilities of the car.”

If Russell’s new deal doesn’t guarantee him beyond 2026, then he and Mercedes can expect the same level of speculation when the driver silly season for 2027 kicks off next year, particularly if Red Bull’s competitiveness doesn’t meet with Verstappen’s standards.

Having had to worry about the threat of being usurped by the four-time F1 World Champion, Russell may well have sought reassurances in his renewed contract that he is viewed as the right man to lead Mercedes into the new regulation cycle.

Having had his renewal negotiations disrupted by Verstappen’s potential availability, it would make sense for Russell to try to minimise the potential for this happening again.

Given that Antonelli is very clearly still the lesser driver, Russell is now well-positioned to stake a claim for the title next year if Mercedes delivers on the chassis and engine front.

Having seen off Hamilton and staked his claim to leadership of one of F1’s most powerful teams, it’s all in Russell’s hands now to deliver upon the potential he promises.

Otherwise, his seat is in danger of merely being kept warm for a Dutchman’s bottom.

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