George Russell Holds Up Mercedes Contract Over Salary and Sponsor Days

As the 2025 Formula 1 season approaches its final rounds, George Russell has yet to finalize a new contract with Mercedes, creating uncertainty about his 2026 status. Despite Max Verstappen’s firm commitment to Red Bull for 2026, Russell’s contract negotiations remain unresolved primarily due to disagreements over salary and sponsor obligations.

Former World Champion Nico Rosberg highlighted that Russell is using a negotiation strategy similar to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s reputed tactics, and that ongoing issues over compensation and sponsor days are delaying the deal.

Details Behind the Contract Negotiations

Mercedes currently has no driver under contract for next season, with both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli’s agreements ending after this year. Although Verstappen’s extended deal at Red Bull put Mercedes’ driver lineup into focus, Russell has not yet signed a renewal despite expectations.

Simon Lazenby of Sky F1 raised the question of frustration surrounding Russell’s delay in signing, stating,

“What of George Russell. Is there a little bit of an element of frustration,”

reflecting the sentiment around the prolonged negotiations.

Lazenby further noted,

“As we understand it, the contract is there for George to sign, and actually, he’s the one that’s now keeping Toto waiting.”

Rosberg weighed in on the dynamics, clarifying how salary expectations and sponsor commitments are driving the hesitancy. He explained the challenges of negotiating with Wolff, saying,

“It’s horrible to negotiate with Toto, and he just disappears off planet earth when you’re trying to get better terms. He just disappears and just doesn’t even let you talk with him. It’s horrible. I suffered a lot.”

Rosberg characterized Russell’s current stance as a reversal of Wolff’s playbook:

“But now, it’s George doing the kind of reverse to Toto. It’s like he’s fighting Toto with his own medicine. George apparently is just not happy with a couple of terms in the contract.”

Regarding salary disparities, Rosberg highlighted Russell’s perception of fairness, noting that although Russell is a Mercedes junior driver, he considers himself on par with Lando Norris and thus deserves an upgrade. Rosberg remarked,

“George is a Mercedes junior, so certainly he won’t be on a Lando Norris level salary, by far and away not, and George feels Lando is equal to him.”

He also emphasized Russell’s capability, stating,

“George, by any means, can drive at Lando’s level and can win races and championships if he has the car.”

Another significant sticking point is the extensive number of sponsor days demanded by Mercedes. Rosberg explained the burden placed on drivers, saying,

“Nowadays, these teams have so many sponsors, asking so much, paying so much money, and the only way for a team to give back to a sponsor is, of course, logo space, which is limited. And they want driver time. They want their customers to be able to meet George Russell, and so they’re using the drivers so much.”

The toll of these commitments was described as taxing even for well-paid drivers:

“And that’s really… I mean, I’m not allowed to say it’s painful for us, because everybody watching will be like, ‘Shut up, you know, you earn so much money, all you have to do is go to a sponsor event, shake some hands, take some pictures, and I’m saying it’s painful’, but it is really painful. It is really painful.”

Russell is reportedly seeking to reduce the number of sponsor days, which can amount to 60 or more annually, sometimes split into half days and cumulatively equating to roughly 80 days. Rosberg remarked,

“So George also there, will try and reduce, and what is it, the number can go up to like 60 days or something, 60 in 356 days. That’s a lot of days. And some of those 60 days are split into half days. So it can actually be like 80 days. That’s a lot, like when all we want to do is go to the Nordschleife and go racing in GT3 cars.”

Sky F1 lead commentator David Croft offered further insight, addressing Russell’s perspective on his value to Mercedes:

“Part of George’s thinking is also, ‘I am a different driver. I’m a stronger driver and better driver than I was the last time I signed a contract, and I’m leading this team, especially now Lewis [Hamilton] has left, and I deserve recompense for that.’

Mercedes Aims to Finalize Line-up with Russell and Antonelli for 2026

Despite the ongoing contract delays, Mercedes remains committed to fielding George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in 2026, according to team principal Toto Wolff. Wolff acknowledged work is underway to fine-tune contract details, including reducing travel and marketing obligations for drivers to help optimize their performance.

Wolff stated,

“We’re continuing with both of them, of course,”

and added that negotiations include revisiting how much time drivers dedicate to sponsorship and media.

He went on to note,

“He’s an experienced driver, and for us, it’s always important to talk about it. We want to have the best performance of the drivers, and I think we’ve given both of them quite a strain with marketing activities and media activities, and this is how we recalibrate.”

Although no contract announcement was made following the recent Italian GP at Monza, Wolff suggested a formal agreement may come quietly without fanfare, saying,

“I don’t think it’s going to be even a big announcement. We’re just going to give you the heads up and say we’ve got a signature and an agreement.”