The big uncertainty in Russell’s new F1 deal

George Russell’s new F1 deal with Mercedes has finally been announced, but it’s best described as a mutual piece of bet-hedging that could still leave both parties free to do something different for 2027.

After years when the likes of Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen - in theory, at least - were being tied down to very long-term deals with their employers, this Russell announcement feels like a massive outlier with its implication that they’re only committing to each other for a single season.

We understand that Mercedes and Russell’s contract DOES actually run on into 2027, despite how it’s been presented. But this is some brutal pragmatism that suits both parties.