‘Toto could have been tighter’ - George Russell on new Merc terms

George Russell insists the terms of his new Mercedes F1 deal were driven by performance and not money.

Mercedes announced on Wednesday that Russell and his rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli would be retained into the 2026 season, ending a long-running saga over their respective futures.

Russell’s contract extension, which Crash.net understands to be a multi-year one, is reported by the Daily Mail to be worth £30million per year.

The lucrative new salary means only Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are paid more than the 27-year-old Briton.

Russell stressed that money was not the main factor behind his new deal, though he admitted Mercedes boss Toto Wolff could have been “tighter” with his hefty new pay-packet.

“I'm really happy to be continuing,” Russell said ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix. 

“The truth is if every single seat was available for next year and I could choose any single team to race for, I believe Mercedes is my best chance of winning the championship next year.

“And for me, it's more about winning than it is about money or sponsor days or anything. I want to win and this is what I'm fighting for, so that is the long and short of it.

“I think it always just comes down to performance, I think, for any driver. At least for myself, what allows me to sleep well at night is knowing that my performances are strong and that is what will keep you in the sport as any driver.

“Our intention and my goal is to continue with Mercedes indefinitely, and we're here to focus on winning in 2026.”

Russell, who has claimed two victories in a standout 2025 season, added: "I'm very happy to be honest, because given the situation and circumstances with me and the team, Toto could have been substantially tighter if he wanted to be.

“But I think he really recognises that you need to reward those who are delivering, who are putting in the effort and delivering those results on track.

“That's why I'm sort of here with a smile on my face because I'm very happy with the offer. That's the bonus, but the main goal for me is a fast race car.”

Kimi Antonelli had ‘doubts’ about F1 future

Antonelli admitted to having “some doubts” over his F1 future after enduring a torrid European leg of his debut season in grand prix racing.

The Italian teenager, who is just 19, was branded “underwhelming” by Wolff following a disappointing Italian Grand Prix.

But Antonelli has since bounced back by finishing fourth and fifth in Azerbaijan and Singapore respectively.

"The team has always been very clear on their plans and on what they wanted to do, so I wasn't never really worried, but it's always nice to get the confirmation," Antonelli said.

"Especially with all the ups and downs, especially the difficult period, some doubt starts to kick in. But the team has always been very supportive and very open that they wanted to continue with me, especially for next year.

"I'm really happy to have the confirmation now that it's been announced. Even though I knew it, it still kind of relaxes me a little bit, a little bit more because I know now for sure that I have the seat for next year."