Russell: In 2027, I will be competing for Mercedes.

      "There will be no announcement"

      George Russell has practically confirmed that he will stay at Mercedes next year, a development that appears to put an end to the ongoing speculation regarding Max Verstappen joining the Brackley team. Corriere della Sera reported that both parties have activated an option in Russell’s contract, with an official announcement anticipated soon.

      The British driver effectively corroborated the report on Thursday at the Red Bull Ring. "There will be no announcement, but I will be racing here next year, 100 percent," Russell stated. This confirmation seems to close the door on Verstappen joining Mercedes for 2027 after months of rumors, despite recent reports of renewed discussions between his camp and Toto Wolff.

      Russell acknowledged that Barcelona acted as "a reality check" following Lewis Hamilton’s victory against Ferrari. "We’ve only brought one upgrade this season so far. We have more in the pipeline, but Ferrari and McLaren are introducing new parts every few races. We need to continue pushing."

      When asked if Mercedes should be rolling out updates more aggressively, Russell responded: "It’s quite challenging these days with the cost cap. They may have a somewhat different strategy, saving money elsewhere and investing more in upgrades. It’s a compromise, and at the end of the day, we’re still the team to beat."

      Championship leader Kimi Antonelli confirmed that Mercedes has also adjusted its approach to team orders following Barcelona, where Toto Wolff acknowledged that allowing both drivers to compete against each other may have cost them a victory. "We had a meeting regarding it, and Toto was very clear," Antonelli noted. "If we find ourselves in a situation like Barcelona, under pressure from our rivals, there will be team orders, especially if one car shows better pace. However, if we’re competing against each other without pressure from another team, we can race freely, as we did in Montreal."

      Mercedes is also set to introduce a new battery package in Austria in response to recent reliability issues. "We’re bringing an updated battery pack to Austria to address the problem," Antonelli explained. "We hope it’ll be sufficient to resolve the issues. A solution needed to be found quickly." He emphasized that the changes focus on reliability instead of outright speed. "It’s not an update designed to enhance our performance," said the championship leader. "I believe there’s something on the hardware level as well, but it’s primarily an update for reliability."

      Meanwhile, Mercedes has reportedly been instructed by the FIA to modify its controversial new diffuser after Ferrari sought clarification regarding its design. According to reports from Italy and Germany, the FIA will issue a technical clarification requiring minor adjustments to the floor, although Mercedes does not expect any significant impact on performance.