Russell has ‘literally no stress’ over Mercedes future

George Russell has made it crystal clear that he isn’t losing sleep over his yet-to-be-renewed contract with Mercedes, insisting that his on-track performance will do all the talking.

The 27-year-old Briton, currently enjoying a strong start to the 2025 Formula 1 season, says he’s not concerned by the speculation surrounding his future – despite lingering rumours that the Silver Arrows may be biding time amid uncertainty surrounding Max Verstappen’s situation at Red Bull.

Russell’s relaxed demeanor was on full display when pressed about his future with Mercedes on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“Yeah I’ll be racing for Mercedes this weekend and next weekend. Silverstone I’ll be there as well!” Russell joked when asked about where things stand with his contract.

“From my side there is literally no stress, no worries whatsoever. When it comes to contracts everyone gets so excited about it. The fact is, drivers have had contracts and if they don’t perform, they get booted out.

“For all drivers, performance is our currency. That’s what we’ve got and if we perform, everything is good. I’m just excited to go racing this weekend, focus on performance, and the future sorts itself out.”

No Stress, Just Speed

Verstappen’s future is currently the subject of intense scrutiny, especially after Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko admitted to having “great concern” about the Dutchman’s long-term commitment.

With whispers of a performance-related exit clause in Verstappen’s contract, some believe Mercedes might be keeping their 2026 seat open for the reigning champion. But Russell isn’t buying into the noise.

“Rumours are never that truthful are they?” he said.

“As I just said, there’s always so much excitement around contracts but the fact is if you don’t perform, even if you have got a contract, you get booted out. And if you do perform, your future sorts itself out.

“I’m pleased with my racing and how I’m performing, enjoying this season with the team. The performances are the strongest currency so that’s what I’m focused on.”

Mercedes Talks Coming—But On Russell’s Timeline

Despite not yet having put pen to paper, Russell says this is very much business as usual for him and Mercedes, with contract talks typically beginning later in the season.

“A few of [the rumours] are reasonably close, I guess,” he said when asked how much truth there was to reports of a looming extension, although he predictably made no mention of a rumored $30 million retainer associated with a prospective new deal.

• Read also: Russell reportedly set for new mega Mercedes deal

“But at the end of the day we’ve never discussed a contract prior to May or June in a season. I’d say the more abnormal point is how many drivers have these ‘long term’ deals. But they’ve all got exit clauses and performance clauses."

“A driver whose on a three-year contract, it doesn’t really mean anything if they’ve got an exit clause or the team has an exit clause if the driver doesn’t perform.”

No Room for Comfort in F1

For Russell, the harsh realities of the sport don’t bother him – they motivate him. In his view, contracts offer little security without consistent performance, and that’s just the nature of elite-level racing.

“It doesn’t really mean a lot. If you’ve got a contract with a team but the team wants you gone, the team finds a way to get you gone. That’s how this sport works and how it should work,” he explained.

“We’re 20 of the best in the world and it’s ruthless. There’s no time to mess around. All you can do is focus on driving fast.”

So while the rumour mill continues to churn, George Russell is focused on what he does best – delivering on track, leaving the rest to fall into place.

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