Russell still not expecting deal before summer break

Jul.26 (GMM)  George Russell has shrugged off recent comments from Toto Wolff suggesting Mercedes will retain its current driver pairing into 2026, saying he's not treating the words as a firm signal about his contract status.

"The message was for you, not for me," Russell told reporters in Spa, referring to Wolff's public hints. "Nothing has changed on my end. I wasn't even aware of what Toto's been saying until an hour ago."

With his deal set to expire at the end of 2025, Russell has been at the centre of speculation in recent weeks — fuelled further by Wolff’s highly publicised meeting with Max Verstappen during the summer break.

Although Verstappen was widely linked to Mercedes amid unrest at Red Bull, the driver now looks more likely to stay put following the dismissal of Christian Horner and the arrival of Laurent Mekies as team boss.

Wolff has since suggested the Verstappen rumours may have gained traction after Russell publicly aired concerns about his long-term role at Mercedes. But Russell insists that chapter is behind him.

"It's not something I'm losing sleep over," he said. "Initially, I was stressed and worried about my future, but in recent months, I've been focused primarily on performance. So I think it's within my control."

He continued, "Mercedes needs the best drivers, and I believe I'm one of them. I don't think there are many drivers who can do a better job than me. I need the team, and the team needs me. That's how it is in motorsport."

Wolff told media in Spa that Russell would "sleep well over the summer break", suggesting stability was on the cards. But Russell confirmed that, despite the positive tone, no deal has yet been offered.

"There's no contract on the table yet," he said. "I don't know if before the break is realistic. Reaching an agreement in two weeks is unlikely."

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