What Russell had to say at Silverstone on his Mercedes F1 contract

George Russell has given his firmest indication yet that his Formula 1 future lies with Mercedes, labelling his chances of leaving in 2026 “exceptionally low”.

Russell’s future has been up for debate as the Briton has yet to ink a new deal, and public chatter intensified after he revealed last weekend in Austria that team boss Toto Wolff has been having conversations with Max Verstappen’s entourage.

Verstappen is under contract at Red Bull until 2028, but there are known to be performance-related escape clauses that can be triggered around the summer break. One option could be for the four-time world champion to make a move next year, while a more prudent approach might be to wait another season and see how the 2026 regulations change pans out, and observe which team will actually be in the best position when all the cards are on the table.

Russell confident he wouldn’t be the one making way

Neither Russell nor rookie team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli are confirmed for 2026, but both are long-term projects that the team is excited about. So, any move for Verstappen would give the team a bit of a driver headache, but Russell fancies his chances of staying where he is regardless.

“I mean, every team has two seats available and it’s normal that every team is considering what the future holds,” he said. “And I don’t take that personally, because I made it clear from the beginning, I’m happy to be team-mates with anybody. So, of course, there’s lots of conversations, lots of rumours, and all of these are being pointed towards me, but from my side, that isn’t really going to be the case.

“I want to continue with Mercedes into the future. The fact is Toto has never let me down. He’s always given me his word, but he’s also got to do what’s right for his team, which includes me, but it also includes the thousands of people who work for Mercedes. For me, it’s nothing to worry about, because I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere. And whoever my team-mate will be, it doesn’t concern me either.

“The likelihood I’m not at Mercedes next year, I think, is exceptionally low.”

Is Russell talking to other teams?

Russell made clear he hasn’t spoken to other teams yet as he is committed to staying with Mercedes. But that doesn’t mean the 27-year-old isn’t of interest, as Red Bull clearly would have a hole to fill and there may be other options elsewhere.

Asked if he had spoken to other teams yet, he replied with a simple “no”, and he was confident his F1 career would be in a good place no matter what. “Yeah, pretty confident, to be honest. Because I think what I’ve proven so far has been plenty enough. Any teams who did reach out in the past, I said, look, I am loyal to Mercedes, that’s where my future lies. And ultimately, Mercedes are my managers, so it has to be dealt through Mercedes in the first place.

“There hasn’t been a lack of interest, let’s say. But I’ve been focused on my side. I am loyal to Mercedes. So, at the end of the day, everything will work itself out. I feel I’m performing better than ever, and performance speaks for everything.”

Mercedes the place to be for 2026 as summer decision looms

Russell wouldn’t be drawn on a concrete deadline, but last week Wolff already hinted at a resolution around the summer break. “There’s not really any deadline in place, to be honest,” Russell added. “Naturally, you try and have stuff done before the summer break. From my side, Mercedes manages me as well, so it’s not really a deadline in my hands as such. I expect probably in the next couple of weeks something to happen.”

But with 2026 performance up in the air as teams tackle the challenging regulations change, Russell backed Mercedes as the place to be.

“Going into next year, there’s so many unknowns. So many unknowns with the car, so many unknowns with the engine, with the fuel. From both sides, our best opportunity of winning is to continue as we are. I feel we’re performing at the racetrack at a very high level, I feel I’m performing at a high level.

“We’ll be going into my fifth year next year [racing for Mercedes]. And all of us, Lando [Norris], Charles [Leclerc], drivers who have been with their teams for so long, when you’re going into such a fresh start, I think consistency gives you your best shot.”