Russell says he ‘would pay to be a World Champion’ as Mercedes racer shares latest on contract talks

George Russell has spoken of there being “no rush” for himself and Mercedes to agree on a new deal, with the Briton’s future beyond 2025 yet to be settled.

Mercedes have not formally confirmed Russell and team mate Kimi Antonelli’s places at the squad for the 2026 season, though Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff recently commented that he intends to retain the pair “as it stands”.

It comes after Wolff openly expressed his interest in reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, who has since confirmed that he will continue with Red Bull into next year and the new era of F1 regulations.

Speaking just before the summer break at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Russell stated that there were “no updates” regarding his contractual situation with Mercedes, but he did say things were moving “in the right direction”.

“To be honest, now, with the time of the year that we’re in, there’s no time pressure from my side,” said Russell. “There’s no major time pressure from the team.

“The truth is, we’ve been in contact a lot this week, but nothing about contracts or the future, because we need to get the car back on track.

“Of course, we’re having conversations about the future. Things are going in the right direction, but it’s not like we need to get this done right here and right now.

“We’ll get things done when the time is right and not rush it, because it’s an important thing.”

Russell was then asked if signing his next contract is a more complicated process than previous deals, as he looks to go from a race winner to a title challenger.

“For sure,” the 27-year-old replied. “I’m seven years into F1 right now. I feel that I’m at my peak, and I still feel that I’m getting stronger as a driver.

“I was maybe more anxious about getting a deal done maybe 12 months ago, then six months ago ahead of 2026. But right now, I’ve waited so long that I want to make sure that it’s right.

“It’s got to be right for the team, it’s got to be right for myself, it’s got to all make sense – the duration has to be right both ways. So, it’s not as simple as just saying, ‘Are you happy with what you’re being paid?’ That’s a very small factor of it.

“You’ve got to have faith in the performance in the future as well, because I would pay to be a World Champion, I would pay to fight for a World Championship, and that’s where I am right now. That is the priority for me.”