George Russell revealed the reason he didn’t sign a new contract with Mercedes over F1’s summer break.
George Russell is set to become the biggest free agent in Formula One unless he and Mercedes can come to a contract agreement before the end of this season. He’s been one of the best performers in the sport this year, but his contract renewal has seen no end of obstacles.
Mercedes considered replacing Russell next season, as Max Verstappen looked ready to leave Red Bull. Since then, Christian Horner has been fired and is no longer available to the Silver Arrows.
Now the ball is in Russell’s court, but the Brit didn’t sign a contract this summer when he had the opportunity.
George Russell explains why he held off from signing new Mercedes deal
The tables have turned between Russell and Mercedes. At the start of the season, Russell looked to be leaving Mercedes as the team eyed Max Verstappen. Now, it’s Russell putting the brakes on negotiations.
Russell spoke to reporters before the Dutch Grand Prix, and explained that while Mercedes were open to agreeing to a deal over the summer break, Russell wanted to wait.
He said, “I definitely wanted to take the summer to really think about my future. It’s important for everybody when you’re discussing the coming years. The team and Toto [Wolff] were very open to discussing or finding a solution during the summer break, but I just wanted to take the time.
“There are pros and cons with the duration. The truth is, I just want to win, and I want to win with Mercedes. If I could choose, that is what I would choose to do. Of course, things have to be right. Things have to be aligned.
“There’s a lot more to our job than just driving on a Sunday afternoon. It’s positively moving in the right direction; there’s just no time pressure on my side and no major time pressure on the team’s side. I just wanted to ensure it’s done right and not done quickly.”
George Russell has the leverage in Mercedes contract talks
If there was any doubt before the season started, there’s certainly no doubt now. Russell is one of the best drivers on the F1 grid and more than capable of leading Mercedes to a championship.
He’s consistently got the best out of the car this season, whether it’s been challenging for podiums, race wins or at the bottom of the points. He started the season with six straight top-five finishes and three podiums over that stretch. He won the Canadian Grand Prix, and came third in Hungary last time out.
| Position | Drivers' Championship | Points |
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | 284 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | 275 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | 187 |
| 4 | George Russell | 172 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | 151 |
Russell’s performances have even cast doubt over his rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian replaced Lewis Hamilton, who moved to Ferrari, as a generational talent. But he’s not been able to replicate Russell’s success.
Now that Russell has the leverage, Mercedes may regret pursuing Verstappen so openly. Any goodwill they had with Russell is lost, and they may have to cave to his demands to keep their star driver.