Report: George Russell now wants ‘special’ Kimi Antonelli clause in his new Mercedes contract

Mercedes driver George Russell is yet to have a new Mercedes contract confirmed for the 2026 Formula 1 season.

George Russell has been one of the stars of the season and is one of only two drivers outside of McLaren to win a race this year.

Mercedes are competing for second in the constructors’ championship, and leapfrogged Ferrari at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Russell followed the Mercedes-linked Max Verstappen home in Baku, and while he’s unlikely to finish any higher than fourth in the championship this year, he’s opened up a considerable lead over both Ferrari drivers and his rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli is about to sign a new Mercedes deal, and while his P4 in Azerbaijan was a welcome return to form, the Italian is almost 150 points worse off than Russell.

Team principal Toto Wolff has publicly confirmed that he’ll be retaining his current driver line-up, but nothing has been signed at this stage.

Now, more of Russell’s demands have emerged, including which current driver’s salary he wants to match, and how long he wishes to stay at Mercedes.

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George Russell wants to match Lando Norris’ McLaren salary in new Mercedes deal

A report from Autosport Web has shared more details about what Russell wants from his next contract.

‘Mercedes sources’ suggest that Russell is keen on signing a three-year deal and wants to match Lando Norris’ current salary at McLaren.

That equates to roughly £20m-a-year, and while Wolff is happy to increase Russell’s salary, he has ‘no intention of paying more than half’ of what Russell is asking for.

It’s believed that Russell has now ‘decided to accept a one-year deal’, but his salary demands haven’t budged, and he’s seeking to include a ‘special’ clause in his contract.

He’s hoping that these clauses will automatically trigger an extension to his new deal to stave off the threat of Verstappen taking his seat.

Russell wants a ‘relative performance’ clause comparing how he fares in relation to Antonelli.

It’s believed that the 27-year-old wants a contract whereby if he beats Antonelli by a certain margin next year, he will secure a ‘new contract’ as a result.

Unsurprisingly, Wolff doesn’t appear keen to agree to Russell’s current demands, continuing to insist on a one-year deal with no ‘special conditions’.

Not only this, but ‘sources familiar with the negotiations’ suggest that it’s Wolff delaying any announcement as he waits for Russell to accept his demands.

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Juan Pablo Montoya offers George Russell some F1 career advice

Russell had to wait three years at Williams before being given his chance to race for Mercedes in Formula 1.

Wolff regretted leaving Russell at Williams for so long, but as soon as he joined the Silver Arrows, their car was no longer a championship contender.

It would be incredibly frustrating if Russell bided his time at Mercedes and was then moved aside for Verstappen just as they became competitive.

Juan Pablo Montoya has told Russell which teams to target should he have to sign a new deal that includes a Verstappen clause.

Russell has proved this season that he’s among the fastest drivers on the grid, and if he were in a McLaren and not a Mercedes right now, he might be about to become a world champion.

However, when competing with four-time world champion Verstappen for a race seat, no driver on the grid would feel comfortable.