"Take Mercedes to the cleaners": F1 Pundit's advice to George Russell amid contract delays

Renowned F1 pundit Peter Windsor shared his thoughts on George Russell's contract delay at Mercedes and advised the British driver to use the opportunity to his advantage. Speaking about the situation, Windsor reflected on Toto Wolff's interest in Max Verstappen, something that presumably delayed Russell's contract renewal.

Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, was reportedly interested in Verstappen, and rumors had it that the Mercedes boss was ready to bring him in. This came amid Red Bull's downward spiral in terms of performance, as Verstappen claimed only two wins out of 14 races this season.

Mercedes, on the other hand, seemed to be better coming into 2025, and as per rumors, they were set to be better than Red Bull under the upcoming new regulations. As a result, Wolff and Verstappen's talks were on over the four-time world champion's summer transfer to Mercedes.

As a result, reports say that Wolff delayed Russell's contract renewal so that they could have time to negotiate with Max Verstappen. However, it did not work out before the summer break, and it has now become inevitable to land the Dutchman at Mercedes, which could work in favor of George Russell.

As Russell is reportedly set to receive his contract extension, Windsor had some advice for him. In a recent interview with Cameron on his YouTube channel, Windsor said:

"I think he should definitely build in flexibility. And I think because Toto wasted time talking to Max and not to George, he should quadruple the amount of money he was going to be asking for from Toto. Take Mercedes to the cleaners on a retainer now. That's what he should do because he deserves it. He drove beautifully."

George Russell joined Mercedes from Williams in 2022 to join Lewis Hamilton and replace Valtteri Bottas. Russell raced with Hamilton for three years before the latter moved to Ferrari at the end of last year.

---

George Russell shares an update on his Mercedes contract extension

Following the Hungarian GP, George Russell shared an update on the Mercedes contract renewal. Speaking about the issue, the British driver told Sky Sports F1:

"He [Toto Wolff] has got nothing to be worried about, I've got nothing to be worried about. Nothing is going to happen over the summer because I just want to have a rest and recharge and come back stronger for the second half of the year but there's no time pressure either way. It will happen when it happens, it's a when not if.

"I'm 27 now, I've been with the team four years, next year would be my fifth, and we want to build the relationship together, but it's got to be right, and I don't want to rush it. I've been waiting 12 months, I'm not going to just rush it in the course of two weeks so we'll sit down when the time is right.

George Russell is in fourth in the Drivers' championship with 172 points after 14 races and three Sprints. His teammate, Kimi Antonelli, is in seventh with 64 points. Mercedes is in third place in the Constructors' championship with 236 points.