P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell is still without a contract for 2026, but has been backed by Guenther Steiner to be handed a new Mercedes deal.
Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes George Russell deserves a new multi-year contract from Mercedes, joking he should be handed a “contract for life”. Both Russell and Kimi Antonelli remain without a contract for next season, although it is expected that the Silver Arrows will hand the duo new deals. Following a stellar podium in the Hungarian Grand Prix, Russell revealed it was a matter of “when not if” he signs a contract extension, with Toto Wolff also insisting it will happen. However, Russell recently went through a period of uncertainty surrounding his Mercedes future, following conversations between Wolff and Max Verstappen. Russell has enjoyed a strong campaign so far and has smoothly become the leader of the Brackley-based outfit, following the exit of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari. Asked by a fan on the Red Flags podcast if Russell deserves a multi-year contract extension, Steiner answered: “He deserves that. He’s doing a good job, he’s leading the team, he knows everything, he knows everything, he knows what Ferrari did [in Hungary], he knows what the engineer should be doing.”
