F1 insider weighs in on George Russell-Mercedes contract drama

Former Formula 1 driver and FIA steward Johnny Herbert says Mercedes should have already sorted George Russell's new contract.

With Lewis Hamilton leaving for Ferrari ahead of 2025, Russell is now the clear number one driver at the Silver Arrows, and his performances in a car that is not up to fighting for the championship have been very strong.

So far in 2025, the Brit has achieved podiums in Australia, China, Miami and Hungary, whilst also winning the Canadian Grand Prix back in June.

Despite his fine performances, Russell is yet to have signed a new deal, despite his contract running out at the end of 2025. But Herbert believes it is only a matter of time.

Speaking to Grosvenor Casino, Herbert said: "I'm sure Mercedes will give George a contract. There can be no way that they're not going to, especially now, Max is staying at Red Bull.

"It should have been done before, because the guy that you could rely on was George.

"And the man you are going to rely on for the second part of season is George and the man you're going to have to rely on next year is George.”

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Summer break should bring clarity for Russell

In the run up to the 2025 summer break, Mercedes team principal Wolff made no secret that he felt it was his duty to keep tabs on whether reigning champion Max Verstappen could be on the market for 2026.

As rumours swirled over Verstappen's talks to join Mercedes, questions were rightfully raised over who the Dutchman would replace should Wolff be successful in signing him.

Russell may be the driver bringing in the points this season but Antonelli is Wolff's long-term project, a starlet who has been on the Silver Arrows' radar since he was a young child in karting.

But now Verstappen is locked in with Red Bull until at least the end of next season, Wolff should have wasted no time securing both Russell and Antonelli.

The 51-year-old has maintained that all will become clear over the future of his F1 driver line-up during August's summer break, but it's clear Russell has nothing to worry about for now.

Wolff himself even gave the 27-year-old a boost in confidence prior to the summer break, despite the absence of an official contract announcement, saying: "We couldn’t wish for a better number one driver," practically confirming that Russell's place at Mercedes is safe.

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