George Russell recently re-signed with Mercedes and has now shed more light on why his new contract took longer than expected. Crucially, the Briton never considered looking for another team.
Russell's previous contract was set to expire at the end of this year, and over the summer, Toto Wolff made no secret of his attempts to lure Max Verstappen away from Red Bull. Ultimately, the world champion decided to remain in Milton Keynes, making George's new contract a mere formality. His new deal, along with that of the team's other driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, was officially announced ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
Wolff also manages Russell, and George revealed how the Austrian honored his promises during negotiations, despite the clear conflict of interest.
“Toto has always been incredibly good at rewarding those he believes deserve it,” Russell explained. “He always said, ‘You do your job on track and leave the rest to me.’ And to this day, he hasn’t disappointed me in that regard.”
“I never lost faith in him despite all the speculation, with the media publishing some truly exciting stories. But the reality was quite different.”
“I am very happy and excited to continue with Mercedes, not for the money or the freedom or anything else, but because I believe this is my best chance to become a world champion.”