Martin Brundle criticizes Mercedes’ treatment of George Russell, saying he is being kept in limbo over his contract: “He’s being let down!”
Is George Russell being treated unfairly by his employer Mercedes? That’s the opinion of former Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle, who bases his view on the ongoing talks between the Silver Arrows and world champion Max Verstappen.
The British driver’s contract with the Brackley-based team expires at the end of the 2025 season. Although Russell impressed in the first half of the season and secured a victory in Canada, he is still waiting for a new contract to be signed beyond 2025.
Russell and team boss Toto Wolff have both confirmed that talks are currently underway between the team and Verstappen – although Wolff stated that it is unlikely that these talks will lead to anything for the coming year.
“No, I don’t think he’s being treated fairly,” Brundle said of Russell on Sky Sports F1. “I think he’s being let down a bit there.”
“He’s doing a great job leading the Mercedes team. He’s taken over the legacy of Lewis Hamilton very well. It must be pretty uncomfortable and also a bit embarrassing for him – he’s sitting there waiting, unless something is going on behind the scenes. But if that’s the case, why don’t they say so?“
”Of course – Max Verstappen, I think everyone accepts that he’s the fastest on the grid – also brings certain challenges. But it’s a very difficult situation,“ said Brundle. ”But that’s Formula 1. It’s a shark tank out there, and you know what – if you’re a team boss, don’t make a decision until you really have to.“
The question is also whether a move to Mercedes would be the right step for Max Verstappen. ”This is one of those moments when you really need a crystal ball – and we used to look for one when we were drivers,“ says Brundle.
”If it’s ever been unclear, it’s now. Because next season there will be new chassis, new engines, and Red Bull will be building its own engines for the first time. That’s a big, ambitious project. And I’m sure Max has certain concerns about that too.“
Toto Wolff spoke about the likelihood of Verstappen moving to the Silver Arrows during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend: ”If you look at our current situation with Kimi and George, we have a perfect driver pairing that we value highly and believe is our future,” he explained.
“But at the same time, there is a four-time world champion who has to decide what he wants to do in the future – and as team boss, you have to look at how that develops. But I think it’s very unlikely that it will happen.”
