George Russell admits delaying Mercedes contract talks with Toto Wolff as F1 future considered

George Russell prioritised summer sunbathing over signing a new Mercedes deal. The Brit is out of contract at the end of the year but chose to sit on his luxury yacht with Spanish girlfriend Carmen Montero instead of talks with boss Toto Wolff.

He said: "Toto and the team were very willing to work through the summer break to come to a sort of resolution, but I wanted to take the time because those two weeks are pretty precious for all of us.

Russell, 27, added that talks are "moving in a positive direction", adding: "So, I think we're getting closer to being on the same page with a few things and hopefully in the coming... realistically we're talking maybe number of weeks before anything really happens.

"But there's no major rush and I don't want to really put a timeline on it. When it will happen, it will happen. If that's next week, one month, two months, three months, it'll be what it will be."

There remain some details to iron out, though. Max Verstappen's decision to stick with Red Bull for next year has all-but guaranteed Russell's immediate Mercedes future but the Brit, wary that his Dutch rival could make a different call next summer, wants a long-term deal while Mercedes would prefer to keep their options open.

"I think there are pros and cons into having short term, long term [deals]," he added. "For me, this season has proved more than ever. Ultimately it always comes down to performance. The number that is stated in the contract is ultimately just a number, but it's obviously something I'm thinking about.

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"The truth is I want to win with Mercedes. I want to win a world championship, and that is my number one goal, and I hope that to [happen] here with the team.

"But, of course, I'm 28 next year. I'm still feeling pretty young, but at some point I need to make sure everything is right and we're all heading in the right direction. My goal is to win with Mercedes, as clear as that, and I think next year is such a vital year for every team, every sort of driver, team, partnership.

"But from my side, next year is a priority. I'm sort of open to anything. I just want to make sure I'm winning. You've got to look at what would be beneficial for you, but also what the risks are. So you've got to play that risk-reward scenario.

"I am loyal to Mercedes because we've supported one another so much over these years, and as I said, I want to win with Mercedes. But everything has to be right, and everything has to be aligned. So whether that means it's one-year, whether that means it's multi-year. That's what we're in the process of discussing now."