George Russell has stepped into the role of being Mercedes’ new team leader on the back of Lewis Hamilton’s defection to Ferrari, yet he is still out of contract after 2025.

The Silver Arrows awarded both British drivers new deals in August 2023, which the Brackley bunch hoped would lock Hamilton and Russell in through the 2025 F1 season. But Mercedes actually signed Hamilton to just a one-plus-one-year contract, which he broke to join Ferrari.

Russell has shown so far this season that he can now be the team leader Mercedes lost with the 27-year-old scoring 111 of their 159 points through the first nine rounds. However, team boss Toto Wolff is still to sign off Russell’s expected £46m new two-year Mercedes contract.

Neither Mercedes driver is currently under contract beyond this season, with rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli only given a one-year deal to replace Hamilton. Mercedes have pursued Max Verstappen, as well, to raise questions over Russell’s future, but he is set to stay at Red Bull.

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Charles Leclerc’s ‘inner circle’ admit he could now leave Ferrari with Mercedes an option

Still, while Verstappen is ready to stay at Red Bull in 2026 before considering his future again at the end of next year, Russell remains on shaky ground with Wolff a huge fan of Ferrari star Charles Leclerc. And the Monegasque may now be ready to leave the Scuderia for next year.

That is according to Corriere della Sera, which reports that Leclerc’s ‘closest circle’ have now ‘let slip’ that the 27-year-old is questioning honouring his contract with Ferrari through 2029 to its full extent. Leclerc has release clauses in his Ferrari contract he may even activate now.

Leclerc’s confidence in his Maranello natives is not as strong as it once was. So, he no longer rules out looking at rival teams, as Leclerc’s ‘fear’ is being stuck with an uncompetitive car if Ferrari fail to hit the ground running next year amid the major 2026 F1 regulation overhaul.

Mercedes are expected to have the best 2026 F1 rules engine, which has put a move on the theoretical table for Leclerc as he considers what moves might be on offer. Wolff has always held Leclerc in very high regard, too, so Mercedes may axe Russell to steal the Monegasque.

Oscar Piastri’s championship-leading form may have fuelled Charles Leclerc’s uncertain Ferrari future

Ferrari signed Leclerc to a £25m a year contract through 2029 in January 2024, right before the Scuderia also confirmed they had struck an agreement with Hamilton in February 2024 to leave Mercedes and move to Maranello come the 2025 F1 season as his new teammate.

Yet Leclerc’s ‘inner circle’ now admit the Monegasque may walk away from Maranello much sooner. It has also likely not escaped his attention that McLaren racer Oscar Piastri has taken seven wins in the past year – only one fewer than Leclerc has since he joined Ferrari in 2019.

Leclerc has eight career Grand Prix victories, 26 pole positions and 46 podiums from 156 starts so far. Piastri is already on four poles and 18 podiums in 55 Grand Prix starts so far, and could even win the F1 drivers’ championship this season as he leads after nine rounds.