Russell’s 2026 Deal Might Not Be the Full Story

"Confirming our driver line-up was always just a matter of when, not if,” team principal Toto Wolff said on the topic. “We wanted to take our time, handle the negotiations properly and make sure everyone, on all sides, was happy.

"I'm pleased we have done that. George and Kimi have proved a strong pairing and we're excited to continue our journey together.

"Our focus is now on the final six races of the year, as we fight for second in the Constructors', and onwards to 2026 and a new era in F1.”

Although this is happy news for team and drivers alike, Wolff’s words parallel something many have been wondering about in the backs of their minds: is this driver duo part of Mercedes’s plan for 2026 only, or beyond? And more specifically, how long can we expect Russell to remain part of the team?

Earlier in the year, as Red Bull showed consistent signs of instability and decline, discussions of whether Max Verstappen would stay with the team or move to greener pastures were a massive talking point. Mercedes seemed like the most likely alternative for the defending World Drivers’ Champion, particularly with the interest that Wolff has shown in signing him over the past.

This was accompanied by speculation that Russell would not be offered an extension into 2026 to make room for Verstappen. This possibility was, however, firmly shut down at the beginning of August, by Verstappen himself when he confirmed that he will indeed stay with Red Bull for 2026. 

Yet once that news hit, Mercedes continued to dawdle on extending Russell, despite the fact that he has been performing incredibly well this season, boasting two wins and eight total podiums after 18 rounds. 

And while keeping Russell has felt like an inevitability for Mercedes, the delay in confirmation only fueled further speculation that Wolff hoped to keep Russell on a one-year extension, in case Verstappen would be open to a change of scenery for the 2027 season.

With all of that in mind, what sticks out about Russell and Antonelli's extension announcements is the blatant lack of information about how long they are for.

F1 teams are well-known for keeping the details of their driver contracts under tight wraps, but Mercedes was upfront about Russell being given a two-year extension back in 2023, when they also let it be known that Lewis Hamilton signed to stay with the team through 2025. This time around though, such information has remained somewhat elusive.

When asked about it directly by Laura Winter of F1 TV, Russell said the deal was, “definitely [for] 2026,” before reluctantly confirming, “It’s multi-year.”

Russell then went on to say, “Obviously, a contract is a very, sort of, private and personal thing, so of course, you know, I’m not going to be showing what every single detail [is].” 

Indeed, F1 contracts are filled with clauses that can benefit the driver or the team, and are notoriously breakable by either party. We saw this with Hamilton’s early exit from Mercedes for Ferrari, and Red Bull’s revolving door of drivers, including Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo. It is incredibly likely that multiple clauses which work in favor of either the team or the driver likewise exist in Russell’s contract.

All of this is to say that, while Russell’s future is secure for next year, Mercedes’s long-term vision for their driver line-up–and how Russell fits into it–remains a question that only time, and perhaps Verstappen, can answer.

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Cover via Mercedes-Benz Media.

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