George Russell has given an update on his future at Mercedes, insisting contract talks are progressing as he looks to secure his place on the team beyond the current season.
Talk of Max Verstappen switching from Red Bull died down over the summer after Mercedes principal Toto Wolff said the team had stopped exploring the idea. Wolff said he wanted to continue working with Russell and teenage teammate Kimi Antonelli going forwards, with a new engine era starting in 2026 and the Mercedes power unit expected to be the pick of the field.
And Russell insists contract talks are progressing, despite a lack of updates over the summer break.
"We're in positive talks at the moment,” Russell said ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix. “Nothing was going to happen during the summer break because from both of our sides there was no reason for it to happen. We wanted to ultimately enjoy the short time we had off, but things are moving in the right direction.”
Russell sits fourth in the drivers’ championship on 172 points, behind overall leader Oscar Piastri (284), his McLaren teammate Lando Norris (275) and third-placed Verstappen (187), while Antonelli is seventh in the standings with 64 points.
Wolff has been full of praise for Russell’s performances this season, which have included six podiums and one win in the opening 14 races. The driver says it is a matter of when, not if, he signs a new deal.
“Hopefully in due course, but as I said before the break, we need to make sure it’s right,” said Russell. “There isn’t any time pressure from my side. There’s no time pressure from the team’s side, so it may take longer than ordinarily, but there’s no need for you guys to read any more into that than than the reality.
“It’s just juggling a lot of priorities between on track performance, development of 2026, sponsorship events, and getting back in shape training wise and then of course doing the contract, it’s not like the world stops just to sort it.”
