Intriguing detail of George Russell’s expected new Mercedes F1 deal emerge

George Russell is reportedly poised to earn a new “multi-year” F1 contract extension with Mercedes.

Russell, whose F1 future has faced uncertainty amid intense rumours linking Max Verstappen with a bombshell switch to Mercedes, is set to be handed a new deal which would tie him to the Silver Arrows until “at least the end of the 2027 season”, according to Sky Sports.

Despite enjoying arguably his strongest F1 season to date, which has included a brilliant victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, Mercedes had delayed giving the 27-year-old Briton a fresh contrast.

This came amid an attempt to sign Verstappen, but the four-time world champion is now locked in at Red Bull for the 2026 F1 season with a performance clause that could have left him a free agent for next year no longer able to be activated.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had recently distanced himself from a move for Verstappen for next year, insisting that Russell and rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli are the team’s first choice for next season.

"The direction of travel is that we want to continue with George and Kimi. That is the first priority," Wolff told Austria's ORF television station ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.

"You can't look past someone like Max and the plans he has for the future. We did that, but I don't think there will be any big surprises.”

During an interview with Sky Sports F1 over the weekend in Belgium, Wolff indicated that a new deal for Russell could be agreed and signed before the summer break.

This weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix marks the final race before F1 enters a three-week August shutdown.

"As a driver, he's so mature and stable that I don't think that makes any difference on performance,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1.

"On the contrary, I would wish to have him in a safe place a little bit earlier. We haven't managed to do that but I'm optimistic that he's going to sleep well over the summer break.”

Wolff not ruling out Russell-Verstappen pairing

While Wolff has refused to rule out a potential future pairing of Russell and Verstappen, he stressed the prospect is “not realistic” for the time being.

"This [Russell and Verstappen pairing] is all more in the, let's say, long-shot, far-fetched," Wolff added.

"Because I want to stay with Kimi and George as it stands, everything else is not realistic.

"But obviously [if] you have a Russell-Verstappen line-up that's Prost-Senna I guess, no?”

On the media interest and speculation surrounding Russell’s future, Wolff said: "I think it's more that you guys [the media] make a lot of pressure and because it's an interesting topic it's completely normal.

"I think he's triggered the whole media avalanche. I'm sometimes maybe naïve, but I try to be transparent with the drivers, and I said to him, 'listen, I have the obligation of exploring what Max is going to do in the next few years.’

"And I think he just came out with it wanting to show, 'I'm aware of what's going on, there's nothing happening behind my back.' And I'm fine with that."