George Russell has revealed that he delayed contract extension talks with Mercedes to ensure “it’s done right”.

The 27-year-old’s current deal with Mercedes expires at the end of the 2025 season, with team-mate Kimi Antonelli also in the same situation as Russell.

The British driver previously expressed his belief that the team and Toto Wolff, the Mercedes chief, were delaying negotiations in June and July as they looked to sign Max Verstappen, but the four-time Formula One world champion has since committed his future to Red Bull for the 2026 season.

Russell, who won the Canadian Grand Prix this season, believes there is no rush to get the deal done as talks head “in the right direction”.

“I definitely wanted to take the summer to really think about my future, because it's obviously important for everybody when you're discussing the coming years,” Russell told Sky Sports ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Relaxed, recharged and straight back to it - with the fast, twisty and narrow Zandvoort 

Previewing the Dutch GP with George, Kimi and @PET_Motorsports  pic.twitter.com/AUYjmwHdkk

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 28, 2025

“The team and Toto were very open to discussing or finding a solution during the break, but I just wanted to take that time.

“There are pros and cons in terms of duration. The truth is, I just want to win, and I want to win with Mercedes. If I could choose, that is what I would choose to do.

“But, of course, things have to be right, things have to be aligned - there's a lot more to our job than just driving on a Sunday afternoon.

“It's positively moving in the right direction but there's no time pressure from my side, there's no major time pressure from the team's side, so I just want to ensure it's done right, and not done quickly.

“But, of course, I'm 28 next year. I still feel pretty young but at some point I need to make sure everything is right and we are all heading in the right direction. I hope that can be with Mercedes.”

Russell sits fourth in the Drivers' Championship, 15 points behind Verstappen but 112 behind leader Oscar Piastri.