Mercedes F1: George Russell announces major contract news: 'I can confirm 100 percent'

George Russell

George Russell announces major contract news: 'I can confirm 100 percent'

Russell says he's staying at Mercedes

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Friday 26 June 2026 11:57

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George Russell has made a major announcement about his F1 future and it has huge ramifications for Max Verstappen and 2026 silly season.

The 28-year-old British star has been seen by many experts as the odd man out should Toto Wolff trigger a move for Verstappen this summer. Remember the Dutchman has an exit clause which would allow him to leave Red Bull before his current deal runs out in 2028.

Russell's future has become the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks, as he struggles to keep pace with brilliant young team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the championship standings.

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After winning the season opener in Australia, things went south for George as Antonelli reeled off victories in the next five races. The gap between the two is now 50 points with Russell dropping to third place in the standings behind Lewis Hamilton.

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Russell says he WILL be at Mercedes in 2027

As the F1 circus arrived at the Austrian Grand Prix on Thursday, Russell had something to say to media, and it may have just killed the biggest storyline in F1 this year.

The man from King's Lynn says he will '100 percent' be driving for Mercedes in 2027, which if true would end any talk of a blockbusting move for Verstappen.

He revealed: “I can confirm that I’ll be racing here next year, one hundred percent.

"It hasn’t even been discussed (with team principal Toto Wolff). We don’t need to discuss it. It’s not even a question mark. I don’t want to go into any more detail, but I will be here next year and that’s the fact of it."

While Wolff said earlier this year that he had not had talks with Verstappen, that did not quite speculation that a huge transfer could be in the works. The latest rumours on Friday now have Verstappen 'in secret talks' about a potential move to McLaren.

Russell says Austria is not a 'must-win' race

Russell's title hopes may not have been extinguished by a run of ill luck which saw him DNF in Canada and then suffer penalty agony in Monaco. But they have definitely dimmed.

Despite that misfortune, Russell is calm heading into Sunday's race at the Red Bull Ring (2pm UK time) and he does not believe it is do or die just yet.

Russell continued: "I don’t think it is must-win this weekend but about achieving strong results and being there.

"At the start of the year, my mindset was that a bad day was finishing second. I just need to get back into that place where the bad days are P2 and the good days are a pole and a win," he added.

"I was unfortunate in Canada but if that was the other car, we would be joint on points today. There are 50 points between Kimi and I, but if that was the other car in Canada, it would have been 25 less for him, 25 for me, and then it’s a completely different picture.

"But that’s just how it goes. It is unlucky that it was on my car in that race and on his car in the last race."

F1 Max Verstappen George Russell