Mercedes attained their best results of the 2023 F1 season during the recently concluded Spanish Grand Prix held in the vibrant city of Barcelona. The team introduced fresh upgrades to the car at Monaco Grand Prix with the sole vision of making the machinery more drivable for the British drivers’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
It seems the upgrades have worked to an extent, as Mercedes secured a double podium finish for the first time this season. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton came home second while his teammate, George Russell, crossed the checkered flag just behind him in P3. It was even more special for Russell as he had to fight all the way up from P12, beating the home heroes, Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso. Meanwhile, the Silver Arrows is mulling to reward the Briton for this performance.
George Russell’s Contract Extended With Mercedes Extended For 12 Months
When Mercedes signed a young boy from Williams, George Russell, to replace Valtteri Bottas, many fans and analysts questioned the team’s decision and termed it as an unreasonable gamble. But Toto Wolff, the team principal, knew what he was doing as he saw great potential in the Briton. George Russell, on his part, did not disappoint Toto and lived up to his faith by beating his legendary teammate, Lewis Hamilton, in the driver’s championship in 2022. Since then, Mercedes has looked up to him as a potential successor to Hamilton, who remains in the last stretch of his illustrious career.
🚨 | Mercedes have reportedly agreed to extend George Russell's contract until 2025.
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) June 5, 2023
Also reported by @es_Motorsport, is that details are being finalised for Lewis Hamilton's renewal with the Brackley based team.#F1 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/xygNqMS2RK
George Russell’s current contract expires at the end of the 2024 season. Moreover, Spanish Motorsport.com has recently reported that Mercedes has apparently extended the Briton’s contract by 12 months. That means he will remain in the Silver Arrows till the conclusion of the 2025 season. As we await official confirmation, the Spanish news agency also claimed that the negotiations probably took place somewhere in 2022. To be honest, the decision should not come as a surprise. Russell was always viewed as the long-term championship contender for Mercedes. Nonetheless, the team and Russell are yet to comment on the rumors for now.
Lewis Hamilton To Seal His Fate While Meeting Toto Wolff After Spanish GP
While George Russell has sorted out his contract with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton‘s future still hangs in the balance. The seven-time world champion’s existing contract is set to expire this year. Moreover, the Silver Arrows and Hamilton have been holding talks for months now. Rumors of the Briton’s alleged jump to Ferrari also did rounds for some time until Hamilton bluntly denied it.
Well, it feels like we will finally have some official news in the coming days. Lewis Hamilton secured a podium finish at the Spanish GP. During the post-race press meet, he revealed he would meet Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff in a couple of days. Moreover, the Briton stays hopeful of coming out of it with concrete solutions. Hamilton further added he remains fully committed to Mercedes and will have a contract in hand soon.