George Russell still does not renew with Mercedes

After the flirting of Toto Wolff, team director, with Max Verstappen, all roads lead to the continuity of English in silver arrows, but the firm does not arrive.

Toto Wolff, director of Mercedes, has an object of desire called Max Verstappen. The Austrian had already flirted with the Dutch in 2024, when Red Bull’s performance fell into the second part of the year and had to look for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton. The title won by Max turned off the fire fire and silver arrows confirmed to Kimi Antonelli, the gem arising from its lower. But Max continued (and still) being Don Toto’s goal.

The lazy walk of the RB21 born in Milton Keynes left Verstappen without chances of fighting for the crown just when crossing the equator of the season. Mathematically, the option is, but Red Bull’s performance is a light years from the McLaren. And Toto went to the load again, waiting for Max to execute that blessed termination clause with the Austrian team that would release him if he reached the holidays further behind the third place in the tournament. But it did not happen, the Dutch went to rest with Kelly Piquet (his partner) and Lily, the little daughter of both, on the podium of the World Cup table. In Hungary, Verstappeen cleared all doubts: “Next year I will be in Red Bull.” His contract is until the end of 2028; In 2026 he will continue, beyond …

Closed the novel Max, Toto looked again inside Mercedes, because George Russell’s contract, his number 1 pilot, expires at the close of the current exercise. One in favor of Pope: it was always clear. He told the English that, if there was the chance to have Verstappen, he would explore the terrain until the end. Now, Wolff returned defeated and with the tired horse, But with the peace of mind that Russell would quickly stamp the firm. But … it turns out that Russell now has no trouble. Chan!

The English will not be able to throw much from the rope because there are not many options to paste the door, but now he wants to assert his positionespecially in his best season since he is a Formula 1 pilot. Settled and Maduro at 27, the British march fourth in the tournament and squeezed his W16 to take advantage of each situation that was presented. He won in Canada, achieved a pole position and climbed five times more to the podium, in addition to Montreal. Russell decided to go on vacation and warned in Budapest that he was not going to occupy a minute of his vacation in talking about the contract.

Russell does not have a manager, it is the Mercedes team that regent his career. “From all my career until last year, the team supported me a lot and has given me incredible opportunities. Our goals have been very aligned and that benefited the team and me,” said the ex-Williams in Hungary. And he added: “In the last six months there was a very unique situation in which I did not have great power in such agreements and the interest may not be aligned for some time. That, of course, has put me at risk during these last six months. I was just yielding on the track. I still trust Toto Wolff and the team, that they will always support me while I am performing, so that is what I have to focus on. But these last months have not been the most reassuring for the future and that has been a bit conflicting. “

The renewal would be stagnant at a key point: the extension. Russell now does not want a long -term contract, because with the new regulations that will enter into force in 2026, nobody knows what team it will picar and English wants to run with a car contender to the title. “The priority for me is having a world champion car, and I want it to be with Mercedes. That is the number one priority. I think the pilots looking for long -term contracts feel they need that security. I have never had a long -term contract and I do not need it, because it should always be based on performance, ”said English.

Wolff mimo Russell after finishing the Max option. “George has always had good letters because he has fulfilled since 2018 (NDER: he integrated the junior program of the arrows). There was no season in which he was not there, and nothing has changed in our way of thinking for next year. I always said that I am happy with my team, with Russell and Kimi Antonelli, But suddenly Max’s future became uncertain and we talked to him too. But I was always very clear with George: 90% would stay with us, but I also needed to talk to Verstappen. Now the situation is clarified and everything can return to normal. ”

As for Antonelli, its continuity is also expected to be confirmed. The Rookie had a good season start, but then fell into its performance. The 18 -year -old Bolognese ended at the points in five of the first six dates of the year, but then he barely scored in two of the last eight. The Canada podium (the first in F1) was its highest moment. Mercedes will give him the confidence for a new season, because Wolff had already said in 2024 that exercise 2025 would be the one of Fogueo for Italian Chiquilín.