George Russell has been urged to abandon Mercedes for Aston Martin by Juan Pablo Montoya. The F1 legend worries that the British driver will only secure a one-year contract extension from Toto Wolff, and believes he should explore other options as a way to get back at his team boss.
Russell’s 2025 season has been an intriguing situation. The Briton has continued the outstanding form he showed following the summer break in 2024. It comes after Russell weighed in on Lewis Hamilton’s exit from Mercedes.
Going into the final 10 races, he sits just 15 points behind Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship standings. The 27 year old is among only four drivers to claim a Grand Prix victory in 2025, and his additional five podium appearances mean he has earned 172 of Mercedes’ 236 points.
Despite proving himself as a team leader for both now and the future, he still lacks a contract beyond this year’s end.
“I think the problem is, George is only going to get a one-year deal,” seven-time F1 Grand Prix winner Montoya explained to CoinPoker. And I think Antonelli is going to get a one-year deal.
“If I was George and I had a good opportunity somewhere else, I would go. If Aston [Martin] came today to George and offered him a seat for next year, I would take it; he should take it. And then let Mercedes realise what they have lost and figure out what they did next.”
Russell finds himself currently embroiled in contract negotiations with Wolff and his Mercedes team. The Austrian boss had been holding out hope of securing Verstappen’s signature, but the four-time world champion has since pledged his immediate future to Red Bull, bringing the public chase to an end.
A fresh agreement at Mercedes appears inevitable for the British driver, but following a tense period of months competing under the cloud of the Verstappen speculation, Russell shows no urgency to finalize the contract before the summer break wraps up.
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“I mean, it’s something we need to think about,” he said in Hungary when asked about the length of his expected new deal. “What is in the interest of both parties, really? What do I want from this? As much as what do Mercedes want?”.
“There has been, obviously, a bit of a unique situation we found ourselves in over these last six months. The fact is, from my side, I want to win. That is the only thing I care about, more than money, more than the number of days I lose sponsorship, more than anything, I want to win, and that, for me, is the most important thing about my future.”