Mercedes have but to substantiate contract extensions for drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, regardless of each being on deal which expire on the finish of this season
Nico Rosberg believes George Russell is giving boss Toto Wolff a style “of his personal drugs” amid the contract stand-off at Mercedes. Regardless of the Brit’s present deal expiring on the finish of this yr, he has but to place pen to paper on an extension.
Russell has been concerned in months of talks with the workforce over his future. And workforce principal Wolff has made it clear on a number of events that he plans for each Russell and team-mate Kimi Antonelli to nonetheless be driving for Mercedes in 2026.
However neither racer has but signed on the dotted line. Talks slowed down forward of the summer season break as Mercedes flirted with the thought of tempting Max Verstappen to affix them from Crimson Bull, and solely after the Dutchman confirmed he’s staying put for 2026 did Wolff publicly decide to handing Russell an extension.
Talks have slowed once more, although, first as a result of the 27-year-old racer prioritised some down time over the summer season break over negotiations about his future. However Sky Sports activities claims there’s a contract on the desk and now Russell is the one dragging his heels.
Rosberg is aware of precisely what it’s like to barter with Wolff, having spent the ultimate years of his personal F1 profession racing underneath the Austrian at Mercedes. And the 2016 champion gave the air of a person amused as he gave his view of Russell’s scenario.
He stated: “It’s horrible to barter with Toto and he simply disappears off planet Earth when you find yourself attempting to get higher phrases. He simply disappears and simply doesn’t even allow you to speak with him. It’s horrible. I suffered so much.
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“However now, it’s George doing the form of reverse to Toto. It’s like he’s combating Toto along with his personal drugs. George apparently is simply not proud of a few phrases within the contract. George is a Mercedes junior, so actually he will not be on a Lando Norris degree wage [at McLaren], by far and away not, and George feels Lando is the same as him.
“George, by any means, can drive at Lando’s degree and may win races and championships if he has the automotive. So in fact, he’ll really feel a little bit little bit of, ‘That isn’t fairly honest, that I’m so far-off from Lando’s wage’.
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“After which additionally, there are issues like sponsor days. These days, these groups have so many sponsors, asking a lot… and so they need driver time. They need their clients to have the ability to meet George Russell, and so they’re utilizing the drivers a lot.
“So George additionally there, will attempt to cut back, and what’s it, the quantity can go as much as like 60 days or one thing, 60 in three hundred and sixty five days. That’s numerous days and a few of these 60 days are cut up into half days, so it may really be like 80 days. That could be a lot, like when all we wish to do is go to the Nordschleife and go racing in GT3 automobiles.”
