George Russell: Multi-year contracts mean nothing

      Recently, rumors appeared in the British press that Mercedes is offering George Russell a two-year contract with the possibility of an extension for a third season, under which he will earn $30 million a year. In Jeddah, the driver was asked if these rumors were true.

      "Rumors are never true, don't you agree? "When you said the word 'rumors,' I stopped listening. I think some of them are pretty close to the truth, but in the end, we never start discussing a contract before May or June.

      I'm not worried about it at all, no stress. When it comes to talking about a contract, everyone is so worried about it, but the fact is that if riders have contracts but don't get results, they get kicked out.

      Results are the currency of the racers. That's all we have. If you're getting results, then it's okay. Right now, I'm fully focused on the upcoming weekend, and the future will take care of itself.

      In fact, it's not normal that many pilots already have long-term contracts. But each contract stipulates the possibility of early termination, depending on the results. So a three-year driver's contract doesn't mean anything. The team will find a way to get rid of him if the rider does not show results.

      That's how things work in sports, but that's how it should be, because we're among the top twenty riders in the world. Sport is ruthless. There's no time for any nonsense – you have to be constantly focused on flying fast."