Formula 1 News: Russell to sign new contract 'pretty soon'

(GMM) George Russell should have a new contract in his pocket “pretty soon,” according to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

While the British driver may be in career-best form at present, his current deal is expiring – and serious talks to extend the contract have been delayed for now.

“I guess before the summer,” Wolff said recently when asked about the timeline.

Speaking to the New York Times, 27-year-old Russell expressed slight frustration that a recent phenomenon is that contract talks – and signings – are increasingly taking place sooner than ever.

“When Lewis (Hamilton) was here, they never discussed the contract prior to June, July,” he said. “It was always the summer.

“The abnormal part is probably how many drivers have signed so early. I feel a lot of drivers who are so fixated on trying to secure their futures are maybe ones who don’t have as much self-belief in themselves and feel the need to have that security.”

Russell’s rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli, a protégé of Wolff’s and a family friend, seems secure in the other cockpit. Indeed, Mercedes sponsored a brand new Netflix special called “The Seat” which documents how the teenage Italian was selected to succeed Hamilton.

“The Seat is an unprecedented inside look into the biggest driver change in F1 history,” the team declared on social media, adding that the special was “brought to you” by team sponsor WhatsApp.

Last year, Wolff campaigned hard to woo Max Verstappen out of the chaos at Red Bull and race instead for Mercedes. Some now believe Wolff is clearly keeping Russell’s current seat potentially open for the Dutchman for 2026.

“Now, it depends on whether Max sticks to his contract,” former Racing Bulls boss Franz Tost told Sport1. “If he does move, there are various teams for him and Mercedes is the top priority.

“But Aston Martin could also be of interest to him,” the Austrian added.

Publicly, Russell is expressing no concerns that, whilst in his current top form, he will be left without a seat. Recent reports have suggested early talks with Red Bull about replacing Verstappen are already taking place.

“Performance is our only currency,” Russell said. “And if you perform, the rest sorts itself out. When people aren’t satisfied, people want change, so let’s see. I think it’ll be an interesting summer.”

Some insiders think all the latest signs from Wolff are that he is now less interested in signing Verstappen, given the speed and harmony in the Russell-Antonelli pairing.

Wolff reassures the Briton that he should have a new deal in his pocket “pretty soon”.

“He has a contract. Just (need to) agree on the final details,” the Austrian added.

As for Russell, he commented: “In this sport, performance speaks. So from my side, there’s no pressure.

“I’ve got no doubts about myself, and everything falls into place when the timing is right. As I said, we’ve got bigger fish to fry right now, which is getting us back on top.”