Martin Brundle tells George Russell what he shouldn’t have said amid Mercedes talks

F1 commentator Martin Brundle believes George Russell is now in a strong position in contract talks with Mercedes, as he is ‘by far the best driver available’ on the current market.

Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend, Max Verstappen confirmed that he will be at Red Bull in 2026.

Verstappen’s response ends months of speculation linking him with Mercedes.

The Dutchman’s potential arrival at the team could have signalled the end to George Russell’s time at Mercedes.

While Russell has been enjoying his best season in F1 to date, Mercedes had talks with the Verstappen camp over a possible move.

Russell insisted that he was confident he would remain in the team irrespective of the rumours surrounding Verstappen.

However, Russell conceded on Thursday in Hungary that it was a “conflicting” situation.

Speaking ahead of FP1 at the Hungaroring, Brundle thinks that with Verstappen now committing to Red Bull, Russell can use that fact in his favour when negotiating with Mercedes.

“Performance is everything, there is no doubt about it,” Brundle explained.

“They all know, roughly, what each other earns. So George won’t want to be underpaid, why should he be?

“He will want some certainty. What we won’t want to do is: to find himself in this position again next year if Max Verstappen is on the market.

“If I was managing George I’d have said: don’t say you’ll drive for nothing, or don’t say you’ll pay, because that will come back to hurt us!

“But I know what he was trying to say. The cards have turned around because suddenly George is by far and away the best driver available, in the world, in F1 who doesn’t have a contract.

“Now he’s like ‘I will slow this down’. That’s how I am reading it.”

Russell waiting for F1 title bid chance

Russell’s promotion to Mercedes coincided with their downturn in form.

Mercedes have struggled to get to grips with the ‘ground effect’ rules.

Since 2022, Mercedes have taken just six victories.

Russell feels he’s ready to win F1 titles, and 2026 could be his chance to do so.

Many expect Mercedes to have the best power unit on the grid, with the new rules next year emphasising the engine.

Jamie Chadwick, a pundit for Sky this weekend, says Russell is only focused on winning with Mercedes.

“He makes a good point. It’s not as obvious as ‘give me a number and I’ll sign’. When he joined Mercedes he was joining a team who, in his mind, were capable of winning a championship. That hasn’t been the case,” she explained.

“He’s had a few years where he hasn’t been able to fight for championships. That’s the bit that’s missing. He wants to fight at the front.

“But this is a great place for him. He’s been at Mercedes for so long. He just needs a car he can fight for the title in.”