Mercedes passes up on Verstappen: 'Deal with Russell almost done'

George Russell is on the verge of signing a new contract with Mercedes, according to The Daily Mail. The British newspaper also reports that Russell is set to receive a generous salary, which will make him one of the highest earners in the sport.

According to the tabloid, Mercedes and Russell have largely agreed on a new contract. Smaller details, such as how many sponsor events he should attend, still need to be resolved.

Russell was rumored to have hoped for a salary of over 50 million pounds per year, like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton receive.

However, they have more merit in the sport and also have more fans. Therefore, Mercedes would want to pay the Brit 'only' thirty million pounds. This puts him on par with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari and Lando Norris at McLaren.

Reportedly, the deal between Mercedes and Russell won't be announced anytime soon—at least not before this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. Perhaps even during the summer break would be too soon, as finalising the aforementioned details wouldn't be possible.