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It seems George Russell is keeping his options open and so doesn’t want to be locked down by Mercedes for multiple seasons. Now that speculation about Max Verstappen going to Mercedes for next season has been shown as erroneous, one would think Russell would be eager to get a multi-year contract with the team locked down.
Aston Martin is dumping its F1 team and going private.
Instead, as stability seems to be a thing of the past in Formula One, Russell is embracing it, probably thinking it will play to his advantage. After all, he’s probably nearing his peak performance capabilities as a driver and with the 2026 season rule changes coming, might want to see how things shake out.
"I think drivers who are chasing long-term deals feel they need that security,” he told Motorsport.com. “I've never had a long-term deal, and I don't need a long-term deal, because it should always be about performance. And if I'm not performing, the team shouldn't be tied in with me. That's as simple as that."
Russsell went on to admit that the talks with Verstappen made him “at risk” as he did not “have huge power” as negotiations are were ongoing with the Dutch driver. Because Verstappen could exit his Red Bull contract at the end of the 2026 season, it’s still possible Russell would get the boot from Mercedes.
It seems things are about to get even more interesting in F1 as drivers could be shuffled around rapidly in preparation for the 2027 season. That could mean some might disappear from the series completely, some new faces might emerge, and countless opportunities might be created in the ensuing chaos.
If nothing else, that kind of shakeup could make F1 even more interesting to watch.
Image via Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team/Facebook
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