With announcements expected over the weekend in Austin, Mercedes first got the ball rolling on Wednesday by announcing George Russell and Kimi Antonelli as part of its 2026 driver lineup.
Toto Wolff claimed this pairing a few months ago and said it might not even be announced once it’s on paper. However, the contract remains unsigned, making it one of the strangest loose ends with one of F1’s top performers still without a contract, even as F1 enters the final seven weeks of the season.
I was scheduled to meet with Russell in Azerbaijan and the lack of a contract was certainly the focus at that stage. The 27-year-old’s plans were postponed until Thursday’s Circuit of the Americas due to illness, but in many ways the timing couldn’t have been better, with a second place in Baku and victory in Singapore ahead of the signing announcement.
The deal had been considered formal long before that, in part due to the fact that Russell was under Mercedes management and any move elsewhere would require approval from his current employer. But he insists that’s not the ax hanging over him.
“It’s always a win-win, right?” Russell tells RACER. “For teams to get the best out of their drivers, they need to be happy and feel valued and respected. And that’s the same whether you’re a junior driver, managed by a team or not at all.
“That’s why I’m happy, because I think Toto was more than fair with his proposals and suggestions and what we agreed on. I’m very happy.”
“He could have been tougher if he wanted to, and of course he could have been more lenient if he wanted to, but I’m very happy with the way things are right now.”
Russell admits he had a hand in why it took so long for the deal to finally come together, but points out that many observers don’t realize how different each year looks for a driver from the year before in terms of off-track workload. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that Mercedes held the real power in the negotiations.
“There’s a lot of stuff that’s off track that I want to keep organized,” he says. “This isn’t because I want to spend more time lying on the beach and relaxing. This is because I want to become a better driver and take myself to the next level.”
“The seasons are getting longer and more obligations are being imposed. First F1 presentation of the year, New York premiereprime minister of monacoThe Netflix commitment, the sponsorship commitment is actually all separate…
“For next year, You will have to work on the simulator for many more days. The two additional tests add up to about 12 more days off schedule. So before you know it, you’re like, “How can I find time to train, stay in shape, and recover from jet lag and X, Y, and Z?”
“That was a big factor for me, whether it’s money or whatever it is, because I want to win. I want to win more than making the most money on the grid of all drivers. Winning is something I’ve worked for my whole life and that’s where I get my drive from. So that’s a big part of it.”
Russell said his desire to win outweighed all other considerations when negotiating his new contract, and remains confident Mercedes will give him a car that can do just that in 2026. Sam Bloxham/Getty Images
“But, of course, after the summer break, everything was decided. From my point of view, there was no doubt about my desire. And, as I said publicly before, if the team can keep the option open, why not?”
“From their side, they had me and you under control. Why put pen to paper six months before[the contract expires]when you don’t have to?”
The fact that Mercedes has now announced next year’s driver line-up raises questions about whether the team will once again keep its options open for the future, and whether the same scenario will play out 12 months from now.‘ time.
“No, no, no,” Russell says. “I don’t want to go into detail about what this deal entails, but I’m very relaxed about the whole situation.
“You can have the toughest contract in the world, but if you don’t perform well or things don’t go well within the team, there’s always a way to change it. So I sleep better at night knowing how well I’m performing compared to knowing it’s going to be a two-, three- or four-year contract.
“If I had a four-year contract and I didn’t perform, if that makes sense, I wouldn’t be able to sleep well at night instead of the other way around.”
It’s hard to argue with Russell’s claim that he’s been performing. He was just 36 points behind Max Verstappen and in a car that had only looked like he could truly win twice – in Canada and Singapore – he showed solid consistency to lead Mercedes alongside his rookie teammate.
The general consensus is that Russell would be a strong contender for the title given the right car, but the driver himself admits he cannot make a hypothetical claim.
“Toto, he recognizes my level of performance,” he says. “But you’re not a world champion until you’re a world champion. That’s the nature of our sport. It’s very complex and very unique.”
“I am very happy with the conditions I have been given. Will I be the highest paid driver on the grid next year? No, I am happier fighting for the championship. I will give everything to fight and to become world champion.”
“For me, it’s not about the money or the fame or anything that comes with that. For me, it’s about winning. And if all the seats were open and I could choose where to go and race in 2026, I would choose to be with Mercedes.”
“I believe this is our best chance to win the world championship. And if we had the opportunity to choose one team to race with as well, and if all the seats were empty and loyalty was no consideration, many drivers would choose Mercedes.”
“This is the information we have today. We may be wrong in Melbourne, but I don’t know the future. I made the decision based on what I know now and I’m very happy.”
