George Russell’s F1 future at Mercedes all set for major upgrade: Reports

George Russell is supposedly all set to sign a two-year extension contract with the Mercedes team. The British driver has delivered consistent performances this season and finished second in the recent Bahrain Grand Prix.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff initially showed keen interest in getting four-time world champion Max Verstappen onboard for the 2025 season but it appears that his stance might well have changed with the Briton's latest performances. According to a report by motorsport-total.com, Russell's new contract with Mercedes is expected to be around the $30 million mark.

George Russell replaced Valtteri Bottas as the second driver during the 2022 season. He was paired alongside Lewis Hamilton, who left Mercedes for Ferrari this year. Russell finished the 2024 season ranked sixth in the Driver's Championship and has had a great start to the 2025 season with podium finishes in three out of the four races so far.

This form strengthens his position in the reportedly ongoing negotiations with the team. Wolff is now said to be satisfied with the current driver line-up, with Russell and Kimi Antonelli delivering consistent results for the team.

F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain - Final Practice- George Russell and Kimi Antonelli - Source: Getty

Mercedes currently stands second in the Constructors' Championship with 93 points, ahead of both Red Bull and Ferrari. Russell, on the other hand, is currently fourth in the Drivers' Championship with 63 points.

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Toto Wolff in awe of George Russell's performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix

Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, had nothing but praise for George Russell's heroic drive and podium finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.

F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain - Source: Getty

The commendable part about Russell's performance in Bahrain was that his race was filled with challenges and multiple technical issues. Despite facing it all, from DRS failures and brake-by-wire (BBW) malfunctions to partial instrument panel function loss, Russell still delivered an amazing result for the team.

George Russell was also under investigation after the race for a DRS infringement but was not penalized due to a lack of advantage gained. His performance left Toto Wolff in awe as he underscored the challenge of driving with all the technical difficulties Russell confronted during the race. The Mercedes boss also likened the BBW malfunction to losing power steering in a road car.

"If you haven't driven a race car that has brake-by-wire or conventional brakes, it's like on a road car when the power steering fails. Then imagine you have to adjust between one corner having it and the next one not having it. That was just very good skill," Toto Wolff said [via racingnews365].

The Mercedes team is investigating the cause of these technical issues and hopes to resolve them in time for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.