Karun Chandhok fears George Russell could lose Mercedes seat even if he wins 2026 F1 title

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George Russell’s future at Mercedes is still uncertain, even after signing a new contract with the Silver Arrows.

Toto Wolff finally confirmed that Russell and Kimi Antonelli have signed new deals ahead of the United States Grand Prix. It came after the former claimed his second win of the season in Singapore – the Mercedes boss revealed the pair would get contracts there.

Sure enough, they have put pen to paper on new deals in Brackley, confirming them for at least 2026. Mercedes said that Russell and Antonelli have ‘multi-year’ contracts, but the exact details have not been revealed.

It is understood that Antonelli has a long-term arrangement, with Mercedes viewing him as the star of the future. However, Russell’s situation is more complex, especially given the links to Max Verstappen.

Mercedes were desperate to sign Verstappen for 2026 and will certainly remain interested for 2027 if he decides to leave Red Bull. Rumours are ‘gaining traction’ that Russell has an exit clause in his new contract, which would allow such a move to happen.

Karun Chandhok fears George Russell could lose Mercedes seat to Max Verstappen even if he wins the 2026 title

Russell is seriously considering changing his management after the delay to his contract negotiations. Managed by Mercedes, he was the ‘passenger’ in his own ‘destiny’, as Karun Chandhok put it via Ted Kravitz’s Podbook on The F1 Show.

Russell was insulted by Mercedes’ interest in Verstappen, and Chandhok thinks that a change in management is needed as the team will not stop their pursuit for the Dutchman. He warned that the Brit could be out by 2027 even if he becomes champion in 2026.

When Kravitz said Mercedes could not get rid of Russell if he won the title next year, Chandhok replied: “Why not? Well, Frank Williams did it four times. Frank Williams lost four World Champions.

“To me, this whole experience, it should be a kind of a, not a red light, but an orange light, at least for George, that it’s time for him to separate his management away from the race team he’s with.

“It’s put him in the passenger seat of this whole process. It’s been dragged out. In effect, Toto’s been negotiating on both sides of the table for this deal.

“And really, for ‘27, if Max is a contender, and he absolutely is a contender for that seat for ‘27, then George has got to spend, I think, next year trying to get control of his own destiny.

“He needs to put himself in the driving seat of his own contract process, his own decision-making process, and also understand what’s happening [in] the rest of the market. Because, you know, as long as Mercedes has been managing him, why would they do that?

“Whereas he needs to understand, is there an option to go to Aston for ‘27? Is there an option to Ferrari? Who knows what the Honda power unit will be like? Maybe that’s the place to be, or the Audi one. Or the Red Bull Ford.”

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Mercedes are still pursuing Max Verstappen for 2027

Wolff admits that he was ‘destabilising’ Russell by publicly admitting his interest in Verstappen. While he eventually settled on the Brit, which he always said he was going to do, he will no doubt continue to keep tabs on the four-time champion.

With Verstappen able to leave Red Bull via exit clauses in his contract, Wolff will be waiting to pounce if the 28-year-old becomes available. Due to the delay in his new deal, Russell suspected that Mercedes would drop him to make way for the Dutchman.

However, it has now been claimed that Mercedes would drop Antonelli instead of Russell to sign Verstappen. The Italian has had a difficult rookie season, with inconsistent points finishes and rookie errors.

Russell’s stock has never been higher in 2025 and is undoubtedly one of the top talents on the grid. He deserves a seat with Mercedes, but a partnership with Verstappen, given the pair’s public feud last season, may seem implausible.