Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has hinted George Russell will sign a new contract before August.

Russell is the highest profile F1 driver without a contract for 2026 with the absence of a new deal particularly notable due to his strong performances this year.

Earlier this year, Wolff said he stopped his public attempts of signing Max Verstappen after openly looking to get the Red Bull driver to join Mercedes.

Last year, Mercedes announced Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at the end of August in Monza and Wolff was asked if the team would wait that length of time to confirm Russell: “No, definitely not that long.

“George and I are totally clear on how this is going to go and 100 per cent alignment. There is no such thing as dragging this on because that’s not what we do.”

Russell’s last contract renewal came in August 2023, as both he and then team-mate Hamilton signed deals that were said to run until the end of the 2025 season.

It would be revealed in February 2024, when Hamilton signed a blockbuster deal to join Ferrari for 2025, that the seven-time world champion’s contract had been a ‘one-plus-one’ deal, which both he and the team had the option to get out of at the end of 2024.

Whether Russell’s deal had been of the same nature was unclear, but Hamilton’s departure opened up an opportunity for him to establish himself as the team’s clear leader.

He produced an impressive 2024 campaign, dominating Hamilton in qualifying and finishing 22 points clear of his team-mate in the driver’s standings despite losing out on a victory in Belgium because of a disqualification that was not his fault.

The chance to assert himself was further enhanced when Wolff decided to gamble on putting hugely inexperienced Kimi Antonelli in the other 2025 Mercedes car, with the Italian teenager sure to need some time to find his feet at motorsport’s top level.

The season has begun with Russell doing just that, with the British driver scoring four podiums in a car that has not been capable of winning and is fourth in the Drivers’ Championship – behind Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Verstappen.

Mercedes chief communications officer Bradley Lord told Sky Sports F1: “We’re under no rush. We manage George’s career as well, being the team he drives for at the moment.

“We know there’s no pressure. He’s fully focused on how we perform in this triple-header and how we keep the car moving forward.

“Then, at the right time, him and Toto will sit down and it doesn’t take terribly long to thrash these things out. It hasn’t happened yet but it certainly will in the weeks and months ahead.”

Sky Sports F1’s Monaco GP schedule

Saturday May 24
9.40am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Monaco GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.10pm: Monaco GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: MONACO GP QUALIFYING
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday May 25
6.55am: F3 Feature Race
8.35am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Monaco GP build-up*
2pm: The MONACO GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Monaco GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
5.30pm: The Indy 500

*also live on Sky Sports Main Event

Next up in F1’s European triple-header is the ‘Jewel in the Crown’, the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, with coverage starting on Friday live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime