Wolff postpones discussions about Russell until the middle of the season.
"Disrupting our season is not the goal,"
By GMM
14 March 2025 - 07:58
Contract discussions with George Russell are temporarily postponed, as both the British driver and his team principal Toto Wolff acknowledge.
In Melbourne, two noteworthy developments are taking shape in the paddock. Firstly, De Telegraaf reports that McLaren CEO Zak Brown has reached out to Max Verstappen’s management to "explore the market."
Additionally, Mercedes’ Russell was seen conversing with both Brown and McLaren team principal Andrea Stella in the Albert Park paddock.
Last year, Wolff had shown interest in Verstappen as a potential successor for Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari, but the team ultimately signed Kimi Antonelli.
Now, however, it is Russell’s Mercedes contract that is set to expire this year.
"We discussed a few weeks ago what the appropriate timeline for negotiations should be," admits Wolff. "We will definitely make time to discuss it before the summer.
"The goal is not to disrupt our season."
Wolff also clarifies that any speculation regarding Verstappen is currently off the table.
"If you have a good relationship, there’s no need to flirt with others," he stated. "The topic of Verstappen is not on our agenda at the moment. I want to concentrate on my guys."
Russell, for his part, claims he is not anxious about the upcoming mid-season contract discussions.
"I believe we share a long-standing relationship built on trust," he said. "Honestly, this sport revolves around results, so there’s no pressure from my end regarding the contract.
"I am confident that everything will work out in due time. And as I mentioned, we have more pressing matters to address that will help us return to the top," Russell added.
Wolff also noted that he aims to alleviate the pressure on Russell this year, particularly with the presence of an 18-year-old, highly regarded teammate who has a much longer contract.
"George understands that we don’t expect him to outperform Kimi every time," the Mercedes team principal remarked. "We wouldn’t have signed Kimi if we believed that would happen.
"I think Kimi matches George in terms of speed, but there’s still much for him to learn, especially regarding tire management during longer runs."
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