Aside from both McLaren drivers and Max Verstappen, George Russell is the only driver to have won a Grand Prix this year. After his dominant victory in Singapore, the British star’s tally for the year stands at two. Yet, Mercedes has still not offered him a new contract for the upcoming season. Both parties have been negotiating their collaboration over the past few months, but according to team boss Toto Wolff, a new deal has now been sealed.
In a broadcast of the German branch of Sky Sports, Toto Wolff was asked about the contract status of George Russell. The 27-year-old driver had just won the Singapore GP. Presenter and former driver Ralf Schumacher pressed on the prolonged negotiations at Mercedes. “It’s your own fault that the car for next year is not yet occupied,” the German declared. “Don’t worry, we’ll announce something soon,” Wolff responded with a grin.
‘We’ll Announce It Naturally’
Presenter Peter Hardenacke then asked if rookie Kimi Antonelli had already signed a new contract. The young Italian was given a one-year contract at his debut. “Yes, both are confirmed,” Wolff suddenly revealed. “Mercedes can save themselves the press release – he just exclusively revealed it,” Schumacher immediately responded. “Don’t worry, we’ll announce it naturally,” Wolff added.”The fact that Mercedes was so fast in Singapore somewhat surprised the team boss. Media at the Marina Bay Street Circuit had earlier asked him where the pace came from. “You tell me,” Wolff responded, shrugging his shoulders. “Our car has never performed well here. If you had told me that we would dominate like this today, I wouldn’t have believed it. These cars always provide surprises. McLaren probably doesn’t know why they’ve fallen back in the last three races either. The same goes for Max Verstappen and the Ferraris – their performances also keep fluctuating.”
