George Russell is reportedly near signing a profitable new Mercedes contract, simply months after hypothesis recommended he was set to get replaced by Max Verstappen
George Russell seems set to safe a profitable new cope with Mercedes – just some months after hypothesis recommended he is likely to be on his means out. The 27-year-old has kicked off the 2025 F1 marketing campaign in spectacular vogue, touchdown three podiums within the opening 4 rounds.
He presently holds fourth place within the drivers’ standings, trailing chief Lando Norris by solely 14 factors. Russell’s strong performances appear to have impressed Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, who’s believed to be prepared to supply the Brit a two-year contract extension, together with an optionally available third yr.
The proposed deal is reportedly valued at round £22m ($30million) yearly. His current contract – price roughly £11m ($15m) per yr – runs out on the finish of the season. Beforehand, hypothesis had swirled round the potential for Max Verstappen stepping in as his successor, however that now appears unlikely.
Speak additionally circulated about Verstappen probably pairing with Russell on the Silver Arrows, however it now appears Wolff is content material along with his present driver duo. He reportedly sees Russell as workforce chief and considers him among the many “prime two or three” in Components 1.
In consequence, the Austrian boss is able to reward Russell with a contract that displays his standing, based on Autosport. This might symbolize a dramatic shift, particularly provided that simply months in the past, former world champion Nico Rosberg and ex-Haas workforce boss Guenther Steiner have been overtly sceptical about Russell’s future at Mercedes.
Again in September, Rosberg claimed Russell’s seat was “not protected in any respect”. Steiner echoed the sentiment, saying Russell wanted to “show” he could lead on the workforce following Hamilton’s departure.
“The automobile is what it’s. It is not the very best automobile, it is the fourth finest automobile in the intervening time on a very good day,” Steiner mentioned on the Pink Flag podcast. “I feel Lewis figuring out that he is leaving anyway, it is simpler to complain. George has obtained all of the curiosity to do to no matter is there to point out that he is the chief of the workforce for the longer term.
“He has to show that, as a result of he is aware of that as a result of he is aware of that when his Mercedes contract is up, his seat isn’t 100 per-cent protected so he simply tries to do his finest, places all the pieces into it.”
Russell impressed with a runner-up end in Bahrain this previous Sunday, overcoming mechanical difficulties and late-race stress from Norris. He surged previous Charles Leclerc firstly, and saved up with eventual race winner Oscar Piastri, all whereas holding Norris at bay.
His race grew to become trickier on account of quite a few technical setbacks. His automobile suffered sporadic digital glitches, starting with an information blackout on his dashboard. Issues worsened from lap 46 when a brake-by-wire failure precipitated inconsistent brake pressure, making it tougher to handle the automobile and rising the probability of errors.
The Brit revealed post-race that the braking pedal’s resistance assorted unpredictably, forcing him to switch his approach on practically each lap to keep away from locking up.
After the race, Russell was investigated for activating his DRS in restricted zones however was in the end cleared. That ruling was a giant aid for Mercedes, who’re aiming to shut the hole on McLaren within the Constructors’ standings.
Piastri and Norris have been red-hot to begin the yr, combining for 3 victories and just one non-podium end result within the first 4 races. Norris is narrowly forward of his team-mate by three factors within the championship, with defending titleholder Verstappen simply behind in third.
Russell is presently six factors adrift of Verstappen, with Leclerc in fifth place, simply forward of Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli and former team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Subsequent up is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – the place Piastri gained final yr and Russell earned a powerful second place.
