George Russell accepts Mercedes F1 reality

George Russell has expressed his disappointment that he has not been able to challenge for a world championship in his career to date.

Russell has had a brilliant 2025 season, claiming a race victory and five further podiums amid McLaren's dominance over the rest of the field.

Just like in the previous three seasons, however, his Mercedes team have not provided him with a car capable of challenging for the world championship this year, and his current fourth spot in the drivers' championship is likely the best he can do.

Mercedes are rumoured to be set to make the biggest step forward when new regulations sweep into the sport in 2026, but Russell is yet to have signed a contract with the Brackley-based outfit beyond the end of this year.

Now, the Brit has revealed he still has the determination to be in a car that can help him win more races and challenge for championships, but that he believes he still has time, pointing to the fact that seven-time champion Michael Schumacher was stuck on two championships until the age of 31.

"I'm definitely more hungry than ever just to try and perform," Russell told Autosport.

"I would have hoped by now, seven seasons in, I would have at least had a year of fighting for a championship. When I joined Mercedes, we thought every year would be a championship fight. Unfortunately, it hasn't turned out that way.

"It's been the same for Charles [Leclerc] as well," Russell continued. "Arguably, nobody would have predicted two years ago McLaren would have made this step. Lando [Norris] did five years with them and had no [title] fights either. So, you've just got to accept the fact that that is the nature of F1. That's always been the case.

"And you look at Michael Schumacher, he was in his fifth year with Ferrari, in his 30s, before he won a championship with them. I'm 27, so I've still got a bit of time on my side."

Can Mercedes return to winning ways?

Mercedes' eight consecutive constructors' championships between 2014 and 2021 would have given Russell hope he could challenge for the title when moving to the Brackley outfit in 2022.

His then team-mate Lewis Hamilton had just claimed six championships in the last eight seasons, and come off the back of a year in which he won eight races and came within eight points of another title.

However, Russell has only been given cars good enough to claim four wins in four seasons with Mercedes, and has arguably been unlucky in the timing of his move to the Brackley-based squad.

If the 27-year-old opts to sign a new multi-year deal with Mercedes, however, he may just have many opportunities to challenge for championships coming up in the future, as Hamilton managed when wholesale regulation changes last entered the sport in 2014.

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