George Russell has made his feelings clear about the handling of the Max Verstappen saga, explaining that both he and team-mate Kimi Antonelli have not felt ‘assured’ of their Mercedes futures over the past few months. The Silver Arrows’ drivers are still waiting for new contracts for the 2026 season. Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Brit gave an open interview, and while he explained that he still ‘trusts’ his team principal, Toto Wolff, the 27-year-old was clearly unimpressed with the handling of his future.
Now, though, with Max Verstappen set to remain with Red Bull in 2026, he is expected to pen a new deal imminently. Wolff was embroiled in a public pursuit of the four-time world champion, and had a remarkable move materialised, it would have forced one of Russell or Antonelli onto the sidelines. On Thursday at the Hungaroring, however, Verstappen pledged his future to the Milton Keynes squad.
“I mean, from my whole career until last year, the team have supported me so much and given me such amazing opportunities,” Russell said at the Hungaroring. “Our goals have been aligned, and what has been in the best interest of the team has also been in the best interest of me.
“Now, of course, these last six months have been a very unique situation where I don’t have huge power in that sort of agreement and maybe the interests were not aligned for some time, which has, of course, put me at risk for these last six months, but then it was my job to perform and reduce that risk.
“I don’t know, to be honest. I don’t wish for it to come to anything like that. I still trust Toto and I still trust in the team that they will always support me as long as I’m performing.
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“So that’s what I need to focus on. But of course, for both Kimi and I, these past months have not been the most assuring for our future and that’s just been a bit conflicting.”
With Russell and Antonelli expected to sign new contracts in the coming weeks, attention at Mercedes turns to salvaging their 2025 season. The Silver Arrows are navigating a rough patch of form, having failed to score a finish higher than fifth since a dominant weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix.
In Hungary on Sunday, Wolff’s squad will revert to the old suspension that guided both Russell and Antonelli onto the podium at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in a bid to recover some performance. The Brackley-based squad are 28 points ahead of Red Bull and 28 behind Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship standings.