George Russell hints that he'll still be a Mercedes driver in 2026
George Russell drops a hint about his future with Mercedes following rumors of a possible move to Aston Martin.
The Briton has not yet signed a new agreement with Mercedes for 2026, despite his impressive start to the 2025 season, which sees him ranked fourth in the championship, behind only the McLaren duo and Max Verstappen with Red Bull.
George Russell optimistic
Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, suggested that a new contract for George Russell would materialize, while consistently dismissing the prospect of trying to lure Max Verstappen to the Silver Arrows.
But as long as a contract is not signed, rumors concerning the future of the Mercedes driver will not disappear. A recent report from the Times claims that Aston Martin is interested in the three-time Grand Prix winner.
Speaking during an interview with Motorsport-Total, George Russell seemed to hint that he would stay with Mercedes next year when he said: « This is now my fourth year at Mercedes, next year it will be my fifth ».
The journalist asked him: « Is it certain? », George Russell replied: « No, it's not certain. Nothing is certain. »
« But if I stay with Mercedes, next year will be my fifth year with the team. No one knows when their time will come. You just have to make sure to keep performing consistently, to keep progressing, he explains. « And what will happen next, only time will tell. »
Mercedes responds to its rumors
Toto Wolff indicated that the signing of a new contract for George Russell with Mercedes is a formality and something he intends to do before the summer break in August.
Interviewed about the possibility that the confirmation might drag on until the end of summer, Toto Wolff stated: « No, certainly not that long. »
« George and I are perfectly clear on how this is going to proceed and in perfect agreement. There's no question of dragging this out, because that's not the way we do things », he says.
Bradley Lord, head of communications at Mercedes, recently told Sky Sports F1: « We are not in a rush. We are also managing George's career, being the team he is currently driving for. »
« We know that there is no pressure. He is fully focused on our performances during this triple-header and on how we develop the car. »
« Then, at the right time, he and Toto will sit down and it does not take terribly long to settle these things. This has not happened yet, but it will certainly happen in the weeks and months to come », he concluded.
