George Russell set to sign £30m-a-year Mercedes deal including new clause that could lower his earnings

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It appears as though George Russell’s Formula 1 future is set to be confirmed very soon.

Heading into the 2025 Formula 1 season, one of the most successful drivers entering the final year of their contract was George Russell.

Mercedes had just watched Lewis Hamilton leave the team after 12 seasons to join Ferrari, leaving Toto Wolff’s outfit at a crossroads.

The question for Wolff was whether Russell could step up and be a clear number one driver for a team with ambitions of winning championships, with highly-rated rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli beside him.

Antonelli was also placed on a one-year contract, meaning Mercedes’ driver line-up for 2026 was completely open, paving the way for a potential deal to sign Max Verstappen from Red Bull.

Verstappen joining Mercedes is likely to be out of the question, as a get-out clause in his contract appears to have lapsed following the result of the Belgian Grand Prix.

It means Mercedes can finally concentrate on negotiating with their own drivers, and it looks like they’ve nearly reached an agreement with Russell for next year and beyond.

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George Russell set to sign £30million-a-year Mercedes contract beyond 2025

A report from the Daily Mail has shared more details about the negotiations between Russell and Mercedes.

They report that Russell is ‘closing in’ on a £30m-a-year ‘multi-season’ contract with Mercedes after impressing on his way to fourth in the drivers’ championship.

The report suggests that a ‘source’ close to the deal believes that ‘all the main points have been agreed’ after talks ‘accelerated’ in recent weeks.

Mercedes were running out of time to sign Russell up, especially if Verstappen did decide to stay at Red Bull.

Aston Martin had been considering an approach for Russell, although it looks almost certain that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will be retained by the team.

Mercedes want a deal completed before the summer break, although that would mean putting pen to paper before Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

It’s been suggested that Mercedes are ‘belatedly content’ with settling for Russell as their number one driver heading into 2026, as although he’s been exceptional this season, no driver is on the same level as Verstappen right now.

However, there are still a few details that need to be ironed out before Russell commits his long-term future to Mercedes.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage

George Russell sponsorship commitments could lower his new £30m-a-year Mercedes contract

The report suggests that ‘the number of sponsor appearances Russell will undertake’ is still one detail that has yet to be decided.

It’s believed that Mercedes have told Russell that a new clause could be included in his deal that if he reduces his number of marketing commitments, that will be ‘reflected in his pay’.

Russell doesn’t have the same fanbase or level of success as Hamilton or Verstappen, meaning he wouldn’t be able to negotiate a similar fee or level of autonomy from doing sponsorship events as the two multiple world champions.

Instead, it’s been suggested his new contract will put him more in line with the likes of Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.

Nico Rosberg warned Russell that negotiating with Wolff is ‘horrible’ when it comes to earning a new contract.

He appears to have finally pinned him down for long enough to sort out most of the terms, and all eyes are now on what happens with Antonelli going forward.