George Russell has suggested his contract renewal talks with Mercedes are being held up because the team are still keen to sign Formula One champion Max Verstappen.

George Russell has been one of the top performers in 2025, consistently delivering strong results in the W16. Despite Mercedes lacking the raw pace to challenge McLaren, the British driver regularly finds himself fighting in the podium positions.

George Russell has revealed that Mercedes have delayed talks over his contract extension as the team is exploring the possibility of signing Max Verstappen. He, however, is confident that he will be retained.