Amid contract talks with George Russell, Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolf has said that a driver does not have the correct "mindset" if they believe they want a two-year contract to perform better. Wolff has previously said that he expects to go into 2026 with his incumbent racer lineup, but neither Russell nor Kimi Antonelli has penned a contract extension yet.
The structure of a new deal for Russell at Mercedes has become one of the hottest topics throughout the whole saga. Wolff famously likes to offer only 1+1 year contract extensions to his racers. This may well be causing the delays with finalizing Russell's deal.
In a conversation with Sky Sports at the Italian Grand Prix, Wolff said that Mercedes has always offered 1+1 year deals to its drivers. Presenter Natalie Pinkham then asked whether this keeps racers on edge, or would more security be beneficial for their confidence.
Wolff then suggested that he thinks this makes no difference, and questioned the mindset of any racer who performs based on the length of their contract.
"I think it makes no difference because they are anyway under tremendous pressure. If a driver says, 'I'd be quicker if I would have a two-year contract', then anyway that mindset is not right," said Wolff.
Toto Wolff expects Russell to sign a deal soon
George Russell now looks to be in a stand-off with Mercedes as talks over an extension have entered into September. Earlier, it was expected that this issue would be sorted out during the summer break after Max Verstappen, who was a possible threat to his seat, decided to stay at Red Bull.
But the 27-year-old has still not put pen to paper with only eight races now remaining in the ongoing season. Toto Wolff has maintained that an extension remains a mere formality, and he expects Russell to sign a deal soon.