Overview

• Russell says his seat was never at risk during Mercedes’ Verstappen talks, framing any hypothetical change as a question about his future teammate.
• He describes the discussions as positive with no signed deal yet, noting he is weighing one-year versus multi-year options.
• Multiple reports say Mercedes’ formal 2026 announcement is held up by Russell’s bargaining over workload, salary and contract length, with sponsor and media days a key issue he raised publicly.
• Newsweek, citing F1 Oversteer, reports Mercedes is close to an agreement that could include a clause to accommodate a future Verstappen move, a detail not confirmed by the team.
• Verstappen has confirmed he will race for Red Bull in 2026 and has signaled he would only consider Ferrari in the future if it offered a genuine chance to win, while Wolff says the Verstappen situation has now settled.