George Russell addresses Mercedes contract discussions and the delay in finalizing an extension with the team

George Russell has brushed off any concerns anyone might have about his Mercedes future as his contract expires at the end of the year. The British driver's contract is something that has caught the eye of many, as surprisingly it expires at the end of the season.

Russell has been affiliated with Mercedes since his junior racing days and has been a Toto Wolff prodigy for all these years. After joining the grid in 2019, the Brit spent three seasons at Williams proving himself and honing his craft. He got his first promotion to the German squad alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2022.

In a partnership that lasted three seasons, Russell beat Hamilton twice. In a development that has crept up on everyone out of the blue, the driver is out of a contract at the end of the season, and an extension is yet to be signed. In terms of driving, Russell's performance has been top-notch.

On the other hand, there is a possible presence of Max Verstappen on the driver market that could disrupt everything. George Russell, however, is not too bothered and feels that performance is his only currency to success. Talking to the Athletic, the driver said:

“I feel a lot of drivers who are so fixated on trying to secure their futures are maybe ones who don’t have as much self-belief in themselves and feel the need to have that security. The fact is, if you have a contract and you don’t perform, the team finds a way of getting rid of you. Performance is our only currency. And if you perform, the rest sorts itself out.”

In a subtle hint, the driver also said that the summer of 2026 is going to be interesting because that would be the time when he sees drivers looking to make a move.

“When people aren’t satisfied, people want change. So, let’s see next year. I think it’ll be an interesting summer,” George Russell said.

---

George Russell cites Tom Brady's famous quote

The Mercedes driver cited one of the more famous Tom Brady quotes, where he talked about how the American superstar talked about young athletes chasing money instead of focusing on the performance. Talking about how money will automatically come if the results are there, George Russell said:

"I remember him saying something like, ‘So many young athletes and sports people are so fixated on the money and whatnot, but if you focus on the performance, the money will come.’”

He added:

“This industry is pretty straightforward. Perform, everything comes. If you don’t perform, it doesn’t matter how good-looking or funny or whatever you are, then it disappears. So, just focus on the number one goal.”

It would be interesting to see what happens in terms of the driver's contract. His performances have been beyond what would ideally be needed to secure a seat, but you never know what happens when a Max Verstappen is on the market.