George Russell brushes off speculation over new Mercedes contract.

In much the same way that Lewis Hamilton's shock move to Ferrari threw the 2025 driver market into chaos, the possibility of Max Verstappen quitting Red Bull is already overshadowing this season.

Though the Dutchman has played down speculation over his future, the fact is that he needs - and understandably wants - to be in a winning car, and it is unclear if the Austrian team can still provide one.

The Dutchman had already cast doubt on Red Bull's future as an engine manufacturer, and the continued decline of the Austrian team will have done little to allay his fears. Last week, even the team's pit stops, usually one of its strengths, were a shambles.

Consequently, a number of teams are keeping a watching eye on Verstappen, which is obviously leading to speculation over the futures of a number of other drivers.

Currently fourth in the standings, George Russell's contract is up this year, and while Toto Wolff has said that his desire to retain the Briton is an "open secret", having let Verstappen slip through his hands once the Austrian will be keen not to repeat the mistake.

Understandably, Russell's contract negotiations are a hot topic in Jeddah.

"From my side, there's literally no stress, no worries whatsoever," he told reporters as the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend got underway. "When it comes to contracts, everyone gets so excited about it, but the fact is, drivers have had contracts, and if they don't perform, they'll get booted out," he added.

"For drivers, performance is our currency. That's what we've got. And if you perform, everything's good. So, I'm just excited to go racing this weekend, focus on performance, and the future sorts itself out."

Asked specifically about the rumours, not just those linking Verstappen with Mercedes but another that his own talks with the German team haven't begun yet, Russell admitted: "A few of them are reasonably close."

"But at the end of the day, we've never discussed a contract prior to May or June in a season," he added, before claiming that in fact contract don't really mean anything any longer.

"Everyone's got exit clauses, they've all got performance clauses," he said. "A driver that's on a three-year contract, it doesn't really mean anything if they've got an exit clause, or the team has an exit clause if the driver doesn't perform. It doesn't really mean a lot.

"If you've got a contract with a team but the team wants you gone, the team finds a way to get you gone. That's how this sport works, and that's how it should work because we're twenty of the best in the world and it's ruthless. There's no time to mess around. All you can do is focus on driving fast."

Meanwhile, at Aston Marin, another team Verstappen is being linked with, when asked if he would welcome the Dutchman as a teammate, Fernando Alonso replied: " Yes, but it's unlikely to happen."

Asked about the rumours, he said: "I see them as being very good for the team. The world champion is sometimes linked with some other teams and a possible departure from Red Bull and the teams they are commenting on are Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari. So this shows the project that we are in and the future that this team has."

As for the Spaniard's own future...

"As I said always, even last year when I extended the contract, I said that I will drive for as long as I feel fast and I feel competitive and the team needs me behind the wheel.

"But my contract is much longer than my racing career," he added. "So I will stay with this team for many, many years in a different role. And if that means that we can win a world championship, even when I'm not behind the wheel, I will still feel very proud of the project."

Asked how long he expects to continue for, and whether he sees himself in F1 at 50, the two-time world champion replied: "Not at 50, but I don't know. That's why we kept open the possibility as well.

"I wanted to race this year for sure and next year for sure because of the change of regulations - and I wanted to experience the 2026 rules and Honda coming to the team. Then the surprise that Adrian was joining the team a few months after that. There were things that were appealing last year when we sat together and negotiated the contract.

"But after 2026, I don't know," he admitted. "I will go season by season. I will see how I feel, how motivated I am. Now I am very motivated, but I cannot guarantee that for three or four years and compromise the team. So we said let's do it until the end of 2026 and then from then on I think I have an incredible relationship with Lawrence and with Lance. We can sit and talk honestly between all of us and check what is best for the team. I will always be in a position to help the team with whatever they need. If it's behind the wheel, I will extend the contract if they think that way and I feel motivated. If it's in another position, or I don't feel fast enough, I will be the first one to raise my hand."

Check out our Friday gallery from Jeddah here.