George Russell may not need to do much more to earn himself a new deal with Mercedes, even amid ongoing interest in Max Verstappen.
Russell delivered a standout performance at the Canadian Grand Prix, taking pole position and fending off Verstappen to seal victory. It was a result made even sweeter for Mercedes by rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli joining him on the podium for the first time.
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Team boss Toto Wolff called it the team’s best weekend of the season, and it also boosted Mercedes’ chances of finishing second in the constructors’ championship ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull.
Still, neither Russell nor Antonelli are officially signed for 2026, and the Verstappen speculation hasn’t gone away.
Full race results via F1 Oversteer
According to recent comments from Wolff and Russell’s own remarks, there’s little doubt any team would jump at signing Verstappen if the chance came up. But journalist Jon Noble told The Race F1 Podcast that Russell’s new contract “was probably earned before today”, and Montreal only strengthened his case.
Noble explained: “Toto was asked about contracts and stuff and basically reading between the lines of what he says is that there was no point trying to get a deal done during the triple header.”
“We’re now into a flyaway, you’ve got Austria and Silverstone coming up, and close towards the summer break. Typically, contracts are done in that run-up to the summer.”
“For all the rumors about Toto waiting or chasing Max, I think in the end we’re going to end up with George Russell staying, probably a one-plus-one or two-plus-one deal announced over the summer break.”
Why Red Bull’s Canadian GP protest was rejected
Russell’s win didn’t come without drama. Red Bull lodged a protest after the race, claiming he’d breached safety car procedures and trying to take advantage of Verstappen’s penalty situation.
But team radio messages showed Russell was following the rules, and even Verstappen later said both drivers wanted the safety car to speed up.
Russell’s strong form this season makes it a risky move for Mercedes to let him go, especially with Aston Martin showing interest. And while Red Bull boss Christian Horner has spoken to Russell about a possible seat if Verstappen leaves, that scenario now looks unlikely.
Russell, still just 27, may not have appreciated Horner’s protest after the race, but the Red Bull boss was acting in the interests of his team. In the end, though, the stewards saw no grounds for action, and Mercedes walked away with their biggest haul of the year.
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