Mercedes face ‘clear’ repeat of situation George Russell desperately wants to avoid in the 2026 F1 season

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Mercedes are still yet to announce their drivers for the 2026 Formula 1 season, with just 10 races to go in the current campaign.

They sit third in the constructors’ championship and are focused on a tight battle with Ferrari for second, which could generate millions of pounds in extra prize money.

That will ease the burden of paying their two current drivers to stick with them next year, with George Russell in particular set to command an impressive salary after years of loyalty to Mercedes.

It’s expected that both he and Kimi Antonelli will keep their seats heading into the 2026 F1 regulations, but no official confirmation has been made yet.

Russell’s Mercedes future is in his own hands, according to David Croft, who believes that it is just a matter of time before a new deal is sealed.

Antonelli would be ‘living in fear’ at Red Bull amid his performance struggles recently. The Silver Arrows seem to be a little more patient with their drivers.

READ MORE: Kimi Antonelli admits ‘I’ve been struggling’ since Mercedes made one mistake with his car

Mercedes face ‘clear’ repeat of George Russell contract situation in 2026 that he desperately wants to avoid

After Verstappen gave Russell the ‘upper hand’ in Mercedes talks by confirming that his future lies with Red Bull, the Briton may be able to squeeze a better deal out of Toto Wolff now.

He won’t be satisfied with a one-year deal now that he’s their team leader and has been responsible for the majority of their strong results this season.

Without him, they might have been behind Red Bull in the standings, costing them a lot of money at the end of the season.

BBC Sport’s Andrew Benson now reports that it’s ‘clear’ that the same situation as Russell has faced with Verstappen being linked to his seat could arise in 2026.

Especially if he is forced to settle for a one-year deal and Red Bull continues to struggle, then Verstappen could easily seek a route out of his deal and leave Russell stranded.

READ MORE: Helmut Marko criticises Toto Wolff for ‘foolish’ involvement in Max Verstappen contract talks for 2026

George Russell told to sign one-year Mercedes deal with F1 team sizing up move for 2027

Russell is generally considered to be among six of the best drivers in Formula 1, having delivered at a high level for many years now.

It means that Mercedes might not be his only option for a top seat, particularly from next year, when the field could be completely jumbled up.

Russell has been told to sign a one-year Mercedes deal, as Cadillac could be set to prepare a big offer for him from 2027.

It’s hard to gauge where their competitiveness will lie given that they’re not on the grid yet, but they aren’t favourites to win any titles over the next few years.