Why Mercedes has no reason to rush Russell's contract

While – particularly after Max Verstappen's announcement that he will stay with Red Bull Racing - it is clear that Mercedes wants to continue with the current line-up, the suggestion suddenly arose that Toto Wolff's F1 team needs to hurry. Two other Formula 1 teams are reportedly interested in contracting Russell for 2026: Aston Martin and Cadillac. These are distinctly old rumours. Moreover, GPblog exclusively reported that Valtteri Bottas has made an agreement with the new American F1 team.

On top of that, Russell has no interest in leaving Mercedes, a top team where he feels at home and thrives as the leading driver, for a more uncertain future. In addition, the Brit – even amidst rumors of conversations with Verstappen - has repeatedly stated that he absolutely wants to stay with his current team. Even during the Grand Prix weekend in Hungary, Russell emphasised that nobody needed to worry.

So why has an announcement been delayed so far? Simple: there is mutual trust, all parties intend to continue together, so there is simply no rush to make announcements. Bradley Lord, a Mercedes team representative, made it clear in a conversation with a select group of media – including GPblog – that nothing has changed about those intentions and an announcement will follow in due course.