Russell’s situation took a fresh twist after his own claim that “ongoing” talks between Verstappen and Mercedes were influencing his wait for a new deal, team principal Toto Wolff and Verstappen yet to shut down the idea that this union could come to be for F1 2026.

George Russell has been affiliated with Mercedes since 2017 and has raced for its Formula 1 team since 2022. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull Racing through 2028. Russell insists that he has never entered into any discussions with other teams.

Russell’s contract at Mercedes expires at the end of 2025, while Verstappen is tied to Red Bull until 2028 though team adviser Helmut Marko has previously acknowledged that all of the top drivers on the grid have agreements that contain performance-related break clauses.