George Russell has turned Mercedes into a story worth following in 2025, and that alone is an achievement. Six podiums in a car that has no business being near the front says everything about his craft. He’s become the guy who’s always there—when McLarens clash, when Ferrari stumble, when Verstappen’s Red Bull fizzles—Russell is the one scooping up the points.
And yet, he’s still driving without a signed contract for the future. That’s not just unfair—it’s absurd. Russell has proven he’s not a stopgap, not a placeholder, not just “the guy before Antonelli.” He’s the reason Mercedes are still in conversations that matter. The Canadian Grand Prix win was a reminder that, on the right day, he can still beat anyone.
The irony is that Russell is everything Mercedes claim to value: consistent, disciplined, fast when it counts. He’s not flashy in the media, he’s not dragging the team through drama—he’s simply delivering results beyond the car’s ceiling. If anything, his reliability has become so normal that it risks being taken for granted.
At some point, Mercedes have to ask themselves: what more could he possibly do to earn security? Because while Toto Wolff dithers, other teams are watching. A driver this sharp, this opportunistic, doesn’t stay unsigned forever. Russell deserves the certainty of a contract yesterday, not next month, not next year. If Mercedes can’t see that, they risk losing the one driver who’s still keeping their story alive.
