- 1996 F1 Champion Damon Hill says Russell could lose Mercedes seat to Verstappen
- Russell’s contract contains lause that must be met for him to stay beyond 2026
- Verstappen scored zero points in Shanghai and has called the 2026 F1 cars “flawed”
George Russell leads the 2026 F1 title race. He has started the season in top form. He also has a new Mercedes deal. But Damon Hill says none of that may lock in Russell’s long-term future at the team.
Hill made that point on the Stay on Track podcast. He said Russell’s place at Mercedes could still give way to Max Verstappen. That could happen even if Russell wins the drivers’ title.
Russell’s position matters because Mercedes spent much of 2025 chasing Verstappen. That pursuit led to doubts over Russell’s future. It also delayed his own contract talks, even as he kept producing results.
For now, Russell is doing all he can. He won in Australia, leads the standings on 51 points and has helped Mercedes take early control of the season. Yet Hill’s view is clear: performance alone may not settle the question if Verstappen becomes available.
“George is temporary.”
What Hill and Herbert actually said
The conversation started with Johnny Herbert. On the podcast, the former F1 driver said he had heard “little rumours again with Max not being very happy where he is.” He raised the idea that Mercedes could move for Verstappen if Red Bull’s problems grow.
That opened the door for Hill’s assessment.
Hill did not hold back. “I feel like I’m relating to this a little bit,” he said. “It’s almost as if you’re standing there going, ‘why can’t you recognise what I’ve got?’ George has got the opportunity now to win the championship, but that’s not going to guarantee him his future at Mercedes.”
Hill also made a pointed observation about team principal Toto Wolff. Re-signing George Russell, he noted, was not done with great enthusiasm. “It wasn’t like Toto was desperate to re-sign George,” Hill said.
The contract situation in context
The path to Russell’s new deal was not smooth. Throughout 2025, Mercedes openly pursued Verstappen. That pursuit delayed Russell’s own negotiations.
Russell acknowledged the impact at the time. He said he was “not really exploring options” elsewhere. He insisted he was “performing” and trusted a spot would exist for him.
Mercedes confirmed in October 2025 that Russell and Kimi Antonelli would continue as its drivers for 2026. But the team did not reveal contract lengths in the announcement.
The details that emerged told a more complicated story. Antonelli is reportedly contracted through 2029. Russell’s arrangement is a one-plus-one deal. He confirmed it himself, saying his deal contains a specific clause: “If I’m performing [next year], we have a specific clause that if I reach [a target], we will automatically” extend into 2027.
The performance targets have not been disclosed publicly. Reports suggest they relate to wins, points totals, or beating his teammate over a season.
Russell also admitted the ongoing Verstappen speculation took a toll. In December 2025, he said he felt a little “unappreciated” at times as Wolff’s pursuit of the Dutchman delayed his own deal.
Why Verstappen’s situation at Red Bull matters
Russell’s long-term future at Mercedes depends heavily on how Verstappen’s 2026 season unfolds. So far, it has not gone well for the four-time world champion.
At the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, Verstappen qualified eighth. He was nearly a full second off Antonelli’s pole time. Then an ERS coolant failure ended his race on lap 46. He left China with zero points.
Verstappen was not quiet about Red Bull’s struggles. He described the car as having “a lot of graining, can’t push, terrible pace, terrible balance.” The Dutchman has called the new 2026 formula “terrible” and “fundamentally flawed.” He said anyone who enjoys watching F1 in 2026 does not understand what racing is about.
It is also widely believed that Verstappen holds a performance-related exit clause in his Red Bull contract. Under those terms, he could leave unilaterally if he does not finish at least second in the drivers’ standings by the end of July 2026.
Former Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko complicated that picture in December 2024. He admitted the clause had been “changed or removed to lay a foundation for a successful company for the near future.”
The contractual details may not matter much anyway. Verstappen has already said he could walk away from F1 if it stops being enjoyable. Ahead of the 2026 season, he told the Up To Speed podcast: “If it’s not fun, then I don’t really see myself hanging around.”
Meanwhile, Russell is producing results. He leads the drivers’ standings with 51 points. Antonelli sits second with 47. Mercedes holds a commanding lead in the constructors’ standings.
The team’s dominance in 2026 echoes 2014, when the last major engine rule overhaul handed Mercedes a years-long advantage. The team won eight consecutive constructors’ titles from that point.
If Red Bull can find its way back to the top quickly, the Verstappen question may take a back seat. If they don’t, and Verstappen explores his options, the pressure on Russell intensifies. Every performance clause in his contract becomes a test.
Hill summed it up with understated clarity. Winning a world title, he said, may simply not be enough.
