George Russell approached by rival in bombshell development that could take him out of Mercedes: Reports

Reportedly, Mercedes driver George Russell has been approached by Aston Martin in an attempt to get him from the German team. The British driver has been associated with the Brackley-based outfit since the beginning of his racing career after he joined its driver academy in 2016.

After making his debut with Williams F1 in 2019 and racing for them for three years, the King's Lynn native joined Mercedes in 2022, replacing Valtteri Bottas. In his first year with the former world champions, Russell impressed everyone with his performances over a single lap and the main race, as he outperformed his much-experienced ex-teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Although Russell and Hamilton signed a contract extension in 2023 that would see them race until the end of 2025, the latter jumped ship after 2024 to Ferrari. With Russell being the lead driver alongside rookie Kimi Antonelli, he has elevated his performance on the track as well, sitting P4 in the standings.

However, Russell has yet to sign a contract extension with Mercedes, with both parties showing no hurry to put pen to paper on a new deal. However, as reported by The Times, Aston Martin was "understood to be one of those who have expressed interest in him" for the 2026 season.

Despite the British team having a dismal start to the 2025 season, where they sit ninth in the Constructors' Championship, they have emerged as a force to be reckoned with since Lawrence Stroll took over the leadership.

Aston Martin had previously been linked heavily with Max Verstappen, with reports of them offering $300m to buy the services of the Dutchman.

Russell has previous links to Aston Martin, as he famously made his first appearance in F1 racing in the FP1 session in their Force India days in 2017. Although neither the Brit nor the Silverstone-based outfit has commented on a future linkup.

Mercedes team boss comments on George Russell's contract

George Russell, F1 Grand Prix of Spain - Source: Getty

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that a new deal for George Russell was in the pipeline and assured that he and the British driver were in contact regarding the subject.

As per Sky Sports, the Austrian was asked if their lead driver would have to wait for a new contract until Monza, he said:

"No, definitely not that long. George and I are totally clear on how this is going to go and 100 per cent alignment. There is no such thing as dragging this on because that's not what we do."

Mercedes' communication chief Bradley Lord shared a similar sentiment and added:

"We're under no rush. We manage George's career as well, being the team he drives for at the moment. We know there's no pressure. He's fully focused on how we perform in this triple-header and how we keep the car moving forward."

George Russell has won three races in his time with Mercedes and is in his fourth year racing for the German team.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam