Another box on the 2023 driver market has closed. Without announcements, given that it was a question of exercising an option, but still of an important scope because it is about George Russell. When Mercedes announced its arrival at the team on 7 September 2021, the deal was described as ‘long-term’, a term frequently used to not specify the duration of the contract.
A frequent passage when it comes to formalizing the engagement of a young man from the Academy. In the paddock, the two-year duration of the agreement was taken for granted, which was most likely founded, but with an option in favor of the team to extend the date of the contract.
This is obviously what Mercedes has done, which has exercised the option… for some time. There are those who claim that it was formalized in April, and those who instead dated everything to the beginning of 2023 or even 2022.
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG
Photo by: Erik Junius
What is certain is that Russell will remain linked to Mercedes at least until the end of the 2025 season, confirming that he is the man who will lead the team post-Hamilton. For the Brackley-based team it’s an obvious step, but at the same time very important in view of a future in which there will be far fewer Grand Prix-winning drivers than the number required by the market.
The expectation of the renewal of Lewis Hamilton is much more media-oriented. Having set aside the indiscretion of a contact with Ferrari, flatly denied by both Toto Wolff and Frederic Vasseur, the last act of the seven-time world champion at the wheel of the team with which he won everything is taken for granted.
The sixth contract between Hamilton and Mercedes is being defined. For Lewis it is the ‘Last dance’ of an extraordinary career, and there are aspects (starting with the duration of the contract itself) that take on a particular meaning. But it’s only a matter of time, in late spring or early summer, this box will also be filled.
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