George Russell is reportedly pushing for reduced marketing commitments and a performance clause tied to his results relative to Kimi Antonelli as he negotiates a new contract with Mercedes for 2026 and beyond.
The 27-year-old recorded his fifth career Grand Prix victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, avenging his heartbreaking late DNF in 2023 by fending off Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to clinch his second win of the season. However, despite the strong performance, Russell remains without a contract for next year.
Nobody is under any illusions about Russell’s immediate future: Both driver and team are limited for alternative options, so the Brit will continue with Mercedes in 2026. What remains unclear is when the man from King’s Lynn will pen his new contract, and what the terms will look like.
Russell and Toto Wolff have been in negotiations since before the summer break, and according to a report from RacingNews365, the Brit has already turned down multiple contract offers from Mercedes.
The five-time Grand Prix winner reportedly wants an improved salary and reduced marketing commitments. Wolff’s team want 60 days from Russell, but the 27-year-old is on a different page.
While Russell would prefer a long-term deal, he is reportedly open to a one-year extension on the condition that a contract clause is included, triggering an automatic extension if he beats team-mate Antonelli in the standings.
George Russell has dominated Kimi Antonelli this season (Image: Getty)
Both Russell and Antonelli are sweating over their long-term future within the Mercedes organisation due to Wolff’s public and persistent interest in Verstappen. The Dutchman is taking time to survey the new pecking order, which will be shaken up by the technical regulations in 2026, before making a decision about his future.
Despite the delays, Russell doesn’t expect the negotiations to drag on into the off-season. “No, I don’t think it should, to be honest,” he told the media on Thursday in Singapore. “Things are moving and progressing.
“And, as I’ve said on numerous occasions before, between races it’s not like we sit at home on the sofa with our feet up and nothing else is going on. I’ve been in Brackley and Brixworth this week, working hard on the sim, looking ahead also to next year.
“Last week, a couple of sponsor events, training, getting back in shape. So, our schedules are extremely busy and, as I said, there is no necessary danger of that happening, but if it does, it does. But I don’t expect it to.”
