Gary Anderson tells George Russell why he should be ‘a bit disappointed’ with new Mercedes contract

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Gary Anderson is not impressed by what he has heard about the new contract that George Russell has now signed to stay at Mercedes for at least the 2026 F1 season.

The 27-year-old is one of the final drivers to secure a seat on the 2026 F1 grid, with only Red Bull, Racing Bulls and Alpine yet to confirm their line-ups for next year. Mercedes bided their time before finalising their ranks, but they will now retain Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Mercedes confirmed on Wednesday that Russell and Antonelli have both agreed to sign new contracts, as the drivers were otherwise due to be free agents after the 2025 F1 season. The Silver Arrows have only formally announced that both drivers’ fresh deals run through 2026.

But it is said that Russell has signed a new multi-year Mercedes contract worth £30m a year to stay in Brackley for at least a fifth season. The Briton has banked a sizable pay rise, having scored 237 of Mercedes’ 325 points so far this season, along with their two Grand Prix wins.

Gary Anderson feels Mercedes could have shown George Russell ‘more respect’ with a new long-term contract

Yet while Russell’s new Mercedes contract might run past the 2026 season, Anderson feels the King’s Lynn native should be “a bit disappointed”. He thinks the Silver Arrows could have shown Russell “more respect” with a long-term deal that guaranteed his future in Brackley.

READ MORE: Every F1 team’s confirmed 2026 driver line-ups

Former Jordan F1 technical director Anderson suspects Mercedes have included options to release Russell at the end of next year. But he also admits the picture could be a reverse of what is widely expected, and that Russell may be the one who wants a route out next year.

“I suppose the big question is what else could Mercedes have done?” Anderson told The Race. “There is no one better (if there is any better) available for 2026.

“If I were Russell, I would be a bit disappointed. A one-year commitment with options is not what any driver needs to allow them to focus fully on their job.

“He has performed well and with a totally positive and committed attitude through these last four years when Mercedes dropped the ball. So, I would have thought he deserved more respect for that.

“Against the ‘debatable’ greatest of all time, Lewis Hamilton, he delivered. Against the new hotshot, Kimi Antonelli, he has done the same. What else can you add to that?

“Perhaps we are getting this all wrong and it’s Russell who wants an out at the end of 2026 if, once again, as they have done for the last four seasons, Mercedes fail to deliver a championship-winning car.”

George Russell could still see Max Verstappen emerge as a threat for his Mercedes seat

Russell’s new Mercedes contract brings a lengthy negotiation period to a close, having been in talks with the Brackley bunch since the start of 2025 about his future at the team. But the Briton might yet have to negotiate his future again next year, if Mercedes can still part ways.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver George Russell’s life outside F1 from net worth to height

The five-time career F1 Grand Prix winner had to wait months for team principal Toto Wolff to finalise his fresh deal, as Mercedes wanted to sign Max Verstappen for 2026. But the Red Bull driver could not trigger the exit clause in his contract that would have opened the door.

It is possible that Verstappen could leave Red Bull at the end of 2026, however, despite the Dutchman’s contract keeping him in Milton Keynes through 2028. The four-time defending champion will only have to be outside the top two in the F1 drivers’ standings next summer.