Why Russell never doubted Wolff and the delayed Mercedes deal

14:06, 05 Nov

Updated: 14:19, 05 Nov

byOlly Darcy

George Russell never doubted that a contract extension with Mercedes would occur, stating that "reality was different" to the speculation.

"[Toto] always said: 'Do the job on track and leave the rest to me,' and to this day, he still has never let me down in that regard."

- George Russell

After months of speculation, the German team finally announced deals that officially tied down both Russell and teammate Kimi Antonelli for the 2026 season.

It may have taken longer than many expected, but the Brit was never worried that a new contract would be handed to him in 2025, rewarding him for what has been an impressive 2025 season with two wins and eight podiums to his name.

"Toto [Wolff] has always been incredibly good at rewarding those who he feels deserve it," Russell stated to GPblog and others in the Austin paddock.

George Russell celebrates his Singapore Grand Prix victory on the podium - Photo: Race Pictures

"He's always said: 'Do the job on track and leave the rest to me,' and to this day, he still has never let me down in that regard.

"So I continued to put my faith in him throughout all of this speculation that was, the truth is, mostly coming from you guys, and it was a nice story that made exciting news and whatnot.

"But the reality was quite different, and that's how the game goes. I'm sitting here now very happy and excited about continuing with Mercedes, not because of the money or freedom or whatever it may be, but because I believe this is my best chance to win [the world championship."

Contract openings and clauses

After Russell and Antonelli were officially re-signed after lots of speculation, there was still plenty to unpack regarding the newly inked contracts.

GPblog understands that a multi-year deal was handed to Russell, while Antonelli received just a one-year deal, likely to be renewed on a year-by-year basis.

However, in the Brit's contract, there is also a decisive clause, with the 27-year-old explaining that a contract will be "automatically renewed for 2027" as a result of performance-based conditions.

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