Reports Claim George Russell Could Bag $30M in Salary as Mercedes Lose Interest in Max Verstappen

63 George Russell (GBR, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team),, F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on April 13, 2025 in Sakhir, Bahrain

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has always admired Max Verstappen and never hid his desire to sign him. Reports linking the Dutchman to the Brackley-based outfit first surfaced when Red Bull began to falter in 2024, and they only grew stronger heading into this season, with Verstappen appearing increasingly discontent and George Russell’s contract set to expire at the end of the year. However, the focus has now shifted away from Verstappen.

Four rounds into the season, which has started on a strong note for Mercedes, Toto Wolff has become fully confident of his current pairing of Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

Earlier today, reports emerged of Russell potentially signing a new contract with Mercedes, which is expected to come with a hefty salary increase.

The Kings Lynn-born driver, who currently earns around $15 million a year, is set to sign a 2+1 contract extension with Mercedes that will see his salary double to $30 million per season.

A thoroughly well-deserved reward, presumably in the eyes of Wolff, with Russell enjoying his best-ever start to a season, scoring three podiums in the opening four races.

This all but ends Wolff’s pursuit of Verstappen. The Austrian now appears fully committed to the future with his current lineup, especially with reports suggesting that even Antonelli is set to extend his one-year contract.

Recently, Wolff went as far as claiming that Russell is among the best on the grid today.

“I always said that is not right, as he [Russell] is one of the top drivers out there. If you want me to name three at the absolute top, he is one of those three, if not the top two. And maybe on his way to the top one,” he told F1 media.

Antonelli, meanwhile, has had a solid start to the season, scoring points in every race. The Italian sits sixth in the standings with 30 points, 33 behind Russell in fourth, who, for now, remains the undisputed number one driver at Mercedes.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
George Russell Max Verstappen Mercedes Red Bull Toto Wolff

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Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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