George Russell has hinted that Mercedes’ ongoing interest in signing Max Verstappen could be a key factor in the delay of his contract extension with the team.
The 27-year-old Briton has been one of the standout performers of the current Formula One season, taking victory in Canada and securing four further podium finishes. Yet, with his contract set to expire at the end of the year—alongside that of teenage teammate Kimi Antonelli—no agreement has yet been reached for his future at Mercedes.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Russell admitted that although contract talks are ongoing, there has been “no major update” so far. While both the driver and the team have previously downplayed the significance of the delay, Russell for the first time acknowledged it would “help” to have the matter resolved.
“It’s not something that I’m pressing massively because, as I’ve always said, the performance is the priority,” Russell said. “I feel with the performance I’m showing at the moment—still in line with what I’ve shown over all these years—I’ve got zero reasons to be worried. But obviously, it does help if there was pen on paper. But let’s see.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has made no secret of his admiration for Verstappen, particularly following Lewis Hamilton’s announcement last year that he would join Ferrari in 2025. Although the Silver Arrows eventually opted to promote 17-year-old Antonelli, speculation continues to surround the team’s ambitions of bringing Verstappen onboard.
In an interview with *Sky Sports F1*, Russell appeared to acknowledge as much. “As a team, it depends where you put your aspirations,” he said. “We’re second best at the moment, maybe third best. We might be overperforming slightly to be second best.
“As Mercedes, they want to be back on top, and if you’re going to be back on top you need to make sure you’ve got the best drivers, the best engineers, the best pit crew, and that’s what Mercedes are chasing.
“So it’s only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing. But from my side, if I’m performing as I’m doing, what have I got to be concerned about? There are two seats in every Formula One team.”
Tensions between Russell and Verstappen have flared on and off the track over the past year, with the pair embroiled in a fiery war of words at last season’s finale in Abu Dhabi. Russell appeared to reference this rivalry indirectly, suggesting that questions over whether the duo could coexist at the same team may be contributing to the holdup.
“Toto has made it clear to me that he thinks how I’m performing this year is as good as anybody,” Russell said. “I think there’s only one driver that you can debate in terms of performance—these are his words, these are not my words—so that’s why I have no concern about the future.
“But there’s two seats at every team and I guess he needs to think who are those two drivers going to be, and I guess that’s what the delay is.”
Despite the uncertainty, Russell remains confident of his place on the grid in 2026, with or without Mercedes.
“For sure, I want to be in the seat that’s going to give me the best chance to win, and ultimately, nothing would make me happier than winning with Mercedes because they’re the ones that helped me get my opportunity,” he told *Sky Sports F1*. “But right now, there’s only one thing for me to focus on and that’s driving fast. If you’re driving quick, there’s nothing to worry about.”
Meanwhile, Verstappen was also quizzed by media on Thursday about his own future, given previous speculation over a potential release clause in his Red Bull contract.
“I’ve had that question before as well in my life,” Verstappen said. “I don’t think we need to talk about that. You want me to repeat what I said last year?
“Again, it’s not really in my mind. I’m just driving, trying to push the performance, and then we focus on next year.”
With Russell’s comments reigniting speculation and both team principals, Toto Wolff and Christian Horner, expected to face further questioning throughout the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, the future of the Mercedes driver line-up remains one of the sport’s hottest topics.