George Russell issues telling response over new Mercedes contract length

Quizzed about his new contract, George Russell couldn’t be drawn on whether or not his new deal at Mercedes includes the F1 2027 season.

Heading into the United States Grand Prix weekend, Mercedes confirmed that the team will continue with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for the F1 2026 season.

How long is George Russell’s new F1 contract?

The contract confirmation put an end to months of waiting, with the identity of the two drivers in the cockpits of the W17s next year in little doubt once Max Verstappen put an end to the possibility of him jumping ship from Red Bull.

While Mercedes’ boss Toto Wolff made it clear that the team’s intent has always been to continue with Russell and Antonelli, there was full transparency from Wolff with Russell that there had been exploratory talks with Verstappen.

But, even once this option was off the table, it took another two months to finally confirm the driver line-up, with Mercedes’ announcement conspicuously leaving out the details of just how long Russell and Antonelli are signed up for.

Sources close to the situation have indicated that Russell’s deal is a multi-year signing, suggesting longer than the 2026 confirmation, although this could potentially mean a 1+1 optional deal; technically, an agreement covering multiple years, but requiring an option from either side to be triggered in order to activate.

Why this detail may be important is that, if Mercedes is still interested in taking on Verstappen if the Dutch driver decides to seek a new home during next season, the ability to make room at the squad could be determined by the length of the contracts signed with Russell and Antonelli, both of whom are graduates of Mercedes’ junior programme.

While Antonelli is at the start of his F1 journey at just 19 years old, with 2026 his second season, Russell is now coming into his prime years; he will be 28 years old when the F1 2026 season begins, and will be expected to lead the team’s charge if the car is capable of delivering titles.

With most of the frontrunning F1 drivers on contracts of defined length, the omission of detail regarding Russell’s new contract is conspicuous, given the fact rumours regarding Verstappen will linger as a consequence. Unsurprisingly, the main topic of the day was Russell’s contract when he appeared to speak to the media for the first time since the confirmation, during media day ahead of the United States Grand Prix on Thursday.

“I’m really happy to be continuing because the truth is, if every single seat was available for next year and I could choose any single team to race for, I believe Mercedes is my best chance of winning the championship next year,” Russell told the media, including PlanetF1.com, at the Circuit of the Americas.

“For me, it’s more about winning than it is about money or sponsor days or anything; I want to win, and this is what I’m fighting for. So that is the long and short of it.”

Asked outright whether he’s assured of being at Mercedes in 2027, Russell conspicuously opted against taking the opportunity to confirm.

“It always just comes down to performance,” he said.

“I think for any driver, or at least for myself, what allows me to sleep well at night is knowing that my performances are strong, and that is what will keep you in the sport, as any driver.

“So I think, as I said, our intention and my goal is to continue with Mercedes indefinitely. We’re here to focus on winning in 2026, and that’s that.”

During the summer, indications were that sticking points regarding Russell’s contract could have been down to small details such as the number of marketing days required of the driver across the year, as well as his salary. Russell’s remuneration during his existing contract is believed to have been dwarfed by fellow non-Champion contemporaries such as Charles Leclec and Lando Norris, and his new deal is believed to see him pocket circa £30 million annually.

“I’m very happy to be honest, because, given the situation and circumstances with me and the team, Toto could have been substantially tighter if he wanted to be,” he said.

“But I think he really recognises that you need to reward those who are delivering, who are putting in the effort and and delivering those results on track.

“That’s why I’m here with a smile on my face, because I’m very happy with the offer, and he could have been much tighter if he wanted to be so.

“That’s the bonus, but the main goal for me is a fast race car.”

George Russell: Mercedes ‘not thinking’ about failure in 2026

Russell’s comments leave open the possibility that both sides are hedging their bets for 2026, with paddock whispers suggesting the new Mercedes power unit could well be the standard-setter when the new regulations kick in next season, while the team usually produces tidy and competitive chassis.

Should the whispers prove accurate, Russell would be one of the favourites for the title.

But, should Mercedes fail to deliver, an option deal would give Russell an out to try something else for his future while, should Russell fail to meet expectations, such a deal would leave the door open for Mercedes to try tempting someone like Verstappen.

Asked what his thought process will be if Mercedes does under-deliver next year, Russell said, “I think that’s, for any driver, a bridge to cross when it comes. The goal is to be successful, and then you cross the bridge thereafter; if you’re winning, and everything is going as as as you dream of, and vice versa.

“Next year is my fifth year with the team. If we’re not winning, that would be very disappointing for both of us, but that is not something we’re even thinking about.

“We’re not even thinking about what the potentials are for next year. All we’re thinking about is working incredibly hard to give ourselves the best shot at winning.

“Somebody asked me this morning, ‘You probably go into next season’s favorite now, are you going to change anything?’

“If we’re the favourite, or the least favorite, I go about my business exactly the same, and all of that external noise is squashed.”

With Russell’s initial contract negotiations having been overshadowed by his team boss evaluating the possibility of landing Verstappen, his on-track performances remained unabated as Russell delivered a victory in Canada, as well as multiple podiums, before a second victory in controlling fashion in Singapore, just days before the contract confirmation came through.

It’s due to these performances that Russell doubts he could have done more to assert more control through the negotiation phase, given the closed doors at other teams and the fact Russell’s affairs are managed by the team with whom he races, a by-product of his rise through the Mercedes junior programme.

“Toto has always been incredibly good at rewarding those who he feels deserve it, and he’s always said, ‘You do the job on track and leave the rest to me’,” Russell said.

“To this day, he has still never let me down in that regard. So I’ve got to continue to put my faith in him.

“Throughout all of this speculation, the truth is all of that was coming from you guys [the media], it was a story that made exciting news and whatnot, but the reality was quite different, but that’s how the game goes.

“I’m sitting here now, very happy and excited about continuing with Mercedes, not because of the money or freedom or whatever it may be, but because I believe this is my best chance to win.”

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock

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