Russell surprised by trend: 'Maybe other drivers don't have that much self-belief'

With constant rumours around Max Verstappen, the Dutchman could start a butterfly effect similarly to how Lewis Hamilton did a season ago.

One the drivers that has his contract running out at the end of the season is Russell. The British driver had a strong start to the campaign, finished on the podium three times already.

"When Lewis was here, they never discussed the contract prior to June (or) July. It was always the summer, the abnormal part is probably how many drivers have signed so early [on long contracts]," the driver began to The Atlantic about his current situation.

At Mercedes, Toto Wolff is not known for handing out long-term contracts to his drivers, and they at the moment do not have one signed for 2026. That however does not concern Russell much.

The Briton believes that even with a contract, a driver is not necessarily guaranteed a seat.

"The fact is, if you have a contract and you don’t perform, the team finds a way of getting rid of you. Performance is our only currency. And if you perform, the rest sorts itself out. When people aren’t satisfied, people want change, so let’s see next year. I think it’ll be an interesting summer," he concluded.

While there are constant rumours about Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull with Mercedes and Aston Martin referred to as possible destinations, Russell's name also came up at Red Bull Racing according to The Race.

In an exclusive article, GPblog has learned that Verstappen is unconcerned about Russell becoming his teammate at the Austrians, should they become teammates that way.