The announcement, though widely expected after Max Verstappen reaffirmed his commitment to Red Bull, came following weeks of negotiation between Mercedes and Russell over final contract terms.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Speaking publicly about the deal for the first time on Thursday in Austin ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Russell said he never had any doubt about where he wanted to be.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cLooking into next year, there were a lot of things I wanted off-track to get right to allow me to perform at my very best on track,\u201d Russell explained. \u201cAnd the truth is, if every single seat was available, and I could choose any single seat to race for in 2026, I would choose to be in the Mercedes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI truly think that is the place that will give you the best chance of winning the world championship next year with everything I know now. We might turn out to be wrong, but with everything we know now, I'm feeling really happy with the deal we've done, confident with the team, and looking forward to moving onwards and upwards.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Formula 1 will introduce a sweeping overhaul of its chassis and power unit regulations in 2026, with Mercedes tipped by many to once again set the standard \u2014 as it did in 2014 when it began a run of eight consecutive Constructors\u2019 titles.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While the team\u2019s statement only confirmed Russell and Antonelli for 2026, it did not specify contract lengths, prompting speculation that Mercedes may be keeping its options open for Verstappen in 2027. However, Russell confirmed to reporters that his deal extends beyond a single season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI think if you look at Formula 1 as a whole, people say a driver has signed for X years, but then it doesn't turn out to be like this, and there are all different clauses and stuff,\u201d he said. \u201cIt's almost like an irrelevant piece of information, because if things are going well, everything continues; if they're not, that's where the discussions happen, generally speaking.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI'm loyal to Mercedes, they've shown their loyalty in me, and I believe going into 2026, Mercedes without a doubt has my best chance of winning a world championship.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Russell added that his approach remains simple \u2014 perform consistently and let results dictate the rest. \u201cIt always just comes down to performance. For any driver, or at least for myself, what allows me to sleep well at night is knowing that my performances are strong, and that is what will keep me in the sport. Our intention and my goal is to continue with Mercedes indefinitely, and we're here to focus on winning in 2026.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 27-year-old Briton has enjoyed an impressive 2025 campaign, winning two Grands Prix \u2014 including in Singapore \u2014 and comfortably outperforming highly rated teammate Antonelli. Russell acknowledged that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff\u2019s confidence in him was reflected in the terms of his new deal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Russell added that his approach remains simple \u2014 perform consistently and let results dictate the rest. \u201cIt always just comes down to performance. For any driver, or at least for myself, what allows me to sleep well at night is knowing that my performances are strong, and that is what will keep me in the sport. Our intention and my goal is to continue with Mercedes indefinitely, and we're here to focus on winning in 2026.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAnd Toto has definitely recognised this and, given our circumstances within the team, he could have been much tighter with his offers, but he's been very generous. That's why I'm very happy because he also recognises that to win, you need the people to be happy and to feel valued and to give everything back to you. And that's what he's done, and that's why I'm here with a smile on my face.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n