George Russell holds off on Mercedes renewal as new F1 team shows interest. George Russell denies having signed a Mercedes renewal as Aston Martin enters the scene.

George Russell has sought to downplay the rumours suggesting his contract renewal with Mercedes is already signed, while a new team is reportedly monitoring the situation.
The year 2026 could mark a new beginning for Formula 1. That’s why drivers want to be sure they are in the right place at the right time, avoiding a scenario where they have to play catch-up from the very start. This explains the delay in the announcement of George Russell’s renewal with Mercedes, despite Toto Wolff having reassured fans about the continued presence of car number 63.

However, the piece that could trigger yet another driver market domino effect is linked to Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver is not certain to remain at Red Bull, with Aston Martin and indeed Mercedes waiting in the wings to be ready should the reigning champion become available. Of course, a potential Verstappen departure would set off a musical chairs scenario that could reshape the current grid.

George Russell slows down the renewal
On this topic, George Russell wanted to clarify the situation regarding his Mercedes contract renewal. “No, nothing is done or signed. If I were to stay at Mercedes, next year would be my fifth season with the team. But again, nobody knows what will happen. The only thing I can do is stay focused on the track and try to be as fast as possible in every session. Then we’ll see what happens in the future,” said the former Williams driver.

In the meantime, it appears that Aston Martin has set its sights on the British driver. Stroll’s team is strongly and decisively targeting 2026, with the arrival of Adrian Newey significantly raising expectations within the squad. For this reason, having a top-tier driver pairing will be essential. This explains the long-running pursuit (not yet concluded) of Max Verstappen. The Canadian owner is said to have put a massive financial offer on the table to try and convince the four-time world champion to join the Aston project.

However, it will likely be necessary to wait until the summer break for more concrete news on the market front, with all eyes undoubtedly focused on the Max Russell-Max Verstappen pairing.