In the part of the standings reserved for top drivers, a prime spot has been given to George Russell. His start to the season has been exemplary, with only a minor slip-up in Q3 at Suzuka. Otherwise, the first four weekends of the 2025 calendar have showcased a driver of absolute quality. George Russell sits fourth in the overall standings, fourteen points behind leader Norris, thanks to his third podium of the season—a strong second-place finish in Bahrain.
Russell’s current form is influencing many things, starting with the rise in his value at a time when he’s negotiating a renewal with Toto Wolff. The signing is expected soon. George will sign a two-year contract (rumored in the paddock to be worth around $30 million per season), with an option for 2028. Exactly a year ago, Wolff would have done anything to put Max Verstappen alongside Russell. Today, he seems no longer interested—Mercedes’ team principal is happy with what he already has.
It all makes sense: George is providing significant value to the team, and Bahrain was yet another demonstration. Russell overtook Leclerc at the start (immediately recovering the penalty the team received on Saturday evening), then stayed as close as possible to leader Oscar Piastri and, most importantly, managed to keep Lando Norris behind.
That would already be impressive under normal circumstances, but for George, over half of the 57 laps in Sakhir were a nightmare, with electronics failing. Initially, he disappeared from the timing screens, the first sign of a progressive blackout during which the Mercedes lost all data on the car’s display lap after lap.
Mercedes also decided to send George out for the final 25 laps on a set of soft tires, a choice Russell later described as “bold.” Were the problems over? Not at all—first, the DRS was triggered unintentionally, then came an issue with the brake-by-wire system starting from lap 46. A torment for George, as the required brake pedal pressure for controlled braking kept changing. “Sometimes the travel was very long,” Russell explained, “other times very short, and as a result I risked locking up.” Despite all that, in the final laps, George had to fend off Norris’ McLaren threatening from behind. That second-place finish at the flag is to be considered a win—one of the most prestigious kind.
At the end of a qualifying session or Grand Prix, it’s not hard to tell when Russell is satisfied. If things went well, he passes the microphone from hand to hand before the interviews, and in Bahrain yesterday, there were plenty of handoffs. “It was tough keeping Lando behind me,” he commented, “but I’m very, very happy I managed to do it.”
George is smiling. Since Lewis Hamilton handed over the captain’s role, his performance has consistently lived up to the responsibility. Toto Wolff is smiling too—he knows the new contract will have to reflect Russell’s status as a true top driver, but it will still cost much (much) less than what it would have taken to bring in Max Verstappen.
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