George Russell delivered an incredible drive for Mercedes at the Canadian Grand Prix, winning the race from pole position.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen pushed Russell during the entire race, making the British driver earn the win.
The race was tight throughout, with the gap between the top two staying within five seconds for most of the race.
Russell kept his cool and managed his tires well, leaving pace in the reserves while pumping out impressive laps.
When Russell ran into lapped cars, the gap got tighter, but Verstappen never managed to get within DRS range of Russell.
“Amazing day for the team,” Russell told Nico Rosberg after the race.
“The strength of our car is in these cooler conditions. We did have high expectations and it worked as we thought. Good day, good day.’”
Sunday’s win is a stunning result that highlights how amazing Russell has been this season, consistently outperforming expectations and putting together consistent race weekends.
His performances are so good, in fact, that it makes Mercedes’ decision to delay renewing Russell’s contract baffling.
What is George Russell’s contract status?
According to Spotrac, the 27-year-old driver earns $15 million this season, but he is a free agent after this season.
His teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, has a team option for the upcoming season, and given all of the resources that Mercedes invested in developing the Italian, the team is likely going to keep him for the foreseeable future.
Antonelli reportedly makes $2 million this season and would make the same amount this upcoming season if his option is picked up.
Other teams can open negotiations with Russell, though Mercedes partly represents Russell since he went through their academy, making those talks somewhat tricky.
Why hasn’t Russell signed a contract extension with Mercedes?
Mercedes holds all of the cards in the negotiations, especially since all indications are that Russell is set on staying with the team.
Team boss Toto Wolff is a fan of Russell, supporting the driver since he was a teenager.
Reports indicate Wolff is also an admirer of Verstappen and would be willing to do anything to get his hands on the Dutch driver.
Red Bull went through leadership turmoil last season, while Wolff made several comments about wanting to sign Verstappen.
The move never materialized last season, but it could be possible that Wolff and Mercedes are waiting to see if another opportunity opens up.
Russell’s contract status will likely remain in limbo until Verstappen makes his plans for next season clear.
If Verstappen does eye a move away from his current team, Russell might end up going to Red Bull, especially since there are few available top team race seats.
Russell staying and signing a long-term deal is the likeliest outcome, but nothing is secure in Formula 1.
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