The Formula 1 paddock is buzzing with speculation and admiration as George Russell’s star continues to rise, following a remarkable victory at the Singapore Grand Prix on October 5, 2025. With his fifth career win, the 27-year-old Brit has thrown his hat squarely into the ring as a potential challenger to Max Verstappen’s dominance, all while contract negotiations with Mercedes remain unresolved.
Russell’s journey to the top has been anything but straightforward. Since joining Mercedes in 2022, he’s been forced to prove himself alongside the legendary Lewis Hamilton, managing to outscore the seven-time world champion in two out of their three seasons together before Hamilton’s high-profile switch to Ferrari. Now partnered with Kimi Antonelli, a 19-year-old prodigy regarded as Mercedes’ future, Russell has shown no signs of slowing down. After 18 races this season, he’s amassed an impressive 237 points to Antonelli’s 88, finishing ahead of his young teammate at every single grand prix so far.
But the real headline-grabber came in Singapore. Not only did Russell outpace the field to secure pole position with two blistering laps, but he also controlled the race from start to finish—delivering what many are calling a redemption drive after his heartbreaking crash at the same circuit in 2023. Reflecting on his growth, Russell told the media, "I'm a very different driver today to the one I was a couple of years ago. And I feel more complete, more confident. I know exactly what I need to do in given circumstances." He added, "I've said it for a while - I feel ready to fight for a championship. I feel ready to take it to my next step."
It’s not just Russell making bold claims. Juan Pablo Montoya, a seven-time grand prix winner and former F1 star, recently weighed in on the MontoyAS podcast, suggesting that Russell could be "just as good as Max [Verstappen] in the future." Montoya argued, "They've got Russell, who could be just as good as Max in the future. So all this is really showing is — he's basically saying, 'yes, we need to secure someone for the future. This is the person.'" Montoya also pointed to Russell’s ability to win races in a car that, on paper, shouldn’t have been a contender: "He's won two races this year with a car that, in theory, wasn't capable of winning."
Despite these accolades, Russell’s future at Mercedes is still up in the air. The contract extension that seemed a formality has been delayed, in part due to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff’s high-profile pursuit of Verstappen. Wolff has made no secret of his desire to bring the Dutch superstar to Brackley, even as Verstappen confirmed in July that he’ll remain with Red Bull through at least the end of 2026. This uncertainty has, understandably, left Russell in limbo. As he told Sky Sports F1 earlier this year, he believes the delay is directly linked to the team’s interest in Verstappen.
Wolff, for his part, has offered only guarded optimism. Speaking after the Singapore Grand Prix, he said, "He's been formidable this year. I haven't seen mistakes. There were weekends that he himself said, 'I could have done more, and it wasn't a good race'. But this happens with any driver. You can see when it just merges, the car being in a perfect space, and the driver being on top of things, that becomes a dominant formula, and that is what we've seen here." On the contract front, Wolff assured fans, "Contract-wise, good things take a while, it's about the detail, and it's not about the big topics. It's super near to being finalised."
For Russell, the timing of his resurgence couldn’t be better. The 2025 Formula 1 season has been fiercely competitive, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris leading the title race and Verstappen still a constant threat. Russell’s victory in Singapore was a statement, showing that when given a competitive car, he can disrupt the established order. His consistent performance has even led some to question whether he’s now the second-best driver on the grid, behind only Verstappen.
Jamie Chadwick, three-time W Series champion and Sky Sports F1 pundit, echoed this sentiment: "I think now he's able to develop into this driver that can kind of do it all. I think we talk a lot about how Max is that kind of complete driver but I do think George is coming into that. There's this category of racing driver that has got the ability to qualify, race wheel-to-wheel, not crash, perform under pressure and there's very, very few of them at the moment, but I would 100 per cent put George up there in that category."
The broader context for Russell’s contract saga is the looming 2026 regulation changes, which many expect could return Mercedes to the top of the sport. Wolff’s hesitancy to commit to a long-term deal—Mercedes has rarely offered multi-year contracts—reflects both the uncertainty of the new era and the tantalizing possibility of pairing Russell with Verstappen. Yet, as Montoya argued, Russell’s current form may force the team’s hand: "And the way he's performing, he's forcing Mercedes' hand to the point where they'll have to say, 'whatever he wants, we’re going to have to give it to him.'"
Meanwhile, Russell’s dominance within Mercedes this season has been reminiscent of Verstappen’s at Red Bull. The Dutchman has hinted that he could have been equally dominant in the McLaren, which has won 12 of the first 15 grands prix in 2025. Russell, too, has voiced frustrations about not having the car to challenge for the championship, believing that with machinery like the MCL38, he could have already clinched his maiden title.
As the F1 circus heads to Austin for the United States Grand Prix from October 17-19, all eyes will be on Russell—not just for his on-track performance but for any news regarding his contract. Mercedes fans are eager for clarity, while rivals watch closely to see if the Silver Arrows will finally lock down their rising star or continue to chase the Verstappen dream.
One thing is clear: George Russell has arrived as a force in Formula 1, and whether or not he’s paired with Verstappen in the future, his performances are ensuring his name is firmly in the conversation for years to come. The contract may still be unsigned, but Russell’s credentials as a championship contender are now impossible to ignore.
