SEPTEMBER 17, 2025

Rumours grow over Russell, Hamilton and 2026 market

Questions are mounting in the paddock about whether Mercedes' apparent indecision over its 2026 lineup could trigger wider driver-market movement.

Veteran Swiss journalist Roger Benoit wrote in Blick that he and other insiders are surprised team boss Toto Wolff has yet to finalise George Russell's contract extension.

Why is he hesitating with Russell? Benoit asked, while noting that teenage Wolff protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli has slumped in his rookie year.

Is the pressure on the rookie actually greater than expected? he said. A swap with (Carlos) Sainz at Mercedes partner Williams would make sense. Or will he ultimately be relegated to the new engine customer, Alpine?

Ralf Schumacher has also heard similar rumours but told a German website that alternatives to Wolff's existing lineup are scarce.

There's no one on the market right now that you say, 'We absolutely have to have that one,' Ralf said. "Most of the top drivers are locked in. Besides, Toto Wolff doesn't think much of Valtteri Bottas, for example. I'm sorry to say, but otherwise he would have kept him.

So yes, that makes it difficult. I find the George Russell issue somewhat surprising, Schumacher added.

"Perhaps there will be a twist - an explanation for the long wait. Mercedes should be happy to have him now, because there's no alternative. They'll have to wait another year and see how it goes.

That said, I think Sainz is always available for Mercedes. There seem to be some clauses in his contract. If I were Mercedes, I'd give him a call right away.

Another factor is the uncertainty over Lewis Hamilton's future. The seven-time champion, who will be 41 in 2026, has struggled badly at Ferrari this season.

I had said before the start of this year that things wouldn't be easy for him at Ferrari, Ralf told T-Online. "But I didn't expect him to struggle so much over such a long period.

"For him to spin twice at Zandvoort, shoot the car into the tyres, and then get a penalty for entering the pitlane too fast - with his experience, that shouldn't happen to him. As a team boss, I'd have less sympathy for that.

I really hope this is just a lapse in concentration. But if these things happen to him because he's already pushing the car to the limit, that wouldn't be a good sign.

Hamilton himself described his form as useless before the summer break.

Despite all his typical theatrics, I believe Lewis is deeply affected by the situation, Ralf said. "But when a driver gives up so publicly, it's not exactly motivating for the team. It's not for nothing that Fred Vasseur urged him to handle the situation a little more calmly.

Looking at his statements, one gets the impression that he might actually retire if things continue like this.

(GMM)