GEORGE RUSSELL revealed he’s happy to partner up with ANYONE on the grid as his Mercedes future remains up in the air.
The Brit’s current deal expires at the end of the 2025 season and he expects to know about any extension “before the summer”.
Russell opened up to reporters, including SunSport inside the Mercedes motorhome at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, about his preferences for 2026.
The 27-year-old, whose last contract extension came in August 2023, said: “I want to be at Mercedes next year. That’s where I want to be.
“But things have to be right. It’s all got to make sense. But I can’t see why it won’t happen.
“I’ve always said I’d be happy to be team-mates with any driver on this grid.
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“So I don’t think anything is out of the question for next year, in terms of any movement on the whole grid.”
Russell, who sits fourth in the Championship standings after a P3 finish in Miami, also opened up the happier atmosphere around the Silver Arrows crew this season.
He said: “There’s been more calm in the team. It’s a good place for us right now.
“We’ve made almost no mistakes this year. We’ve been better in high pressure moments on the radio to give the strategists more time to think.”
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Meanwhile, the entire F1 driver market, including Russell, hinges on the plans of four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman, 27, may choose to invoke a performance-based exit clause in his contract should he remain unhappy with Red Bull’s output and the loss of key personnel such as Adrian Newey.
Verstappen’s clause reportedly becomes active during the summer break in August – and rival teams like Mercedes are waiting for him to firm up his future before finalising their own line-ups.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
