George Russell appears “bruised” after it emerged that Toto Wolff was speaking to Max Verstappen instead of renewing the Briton’s contract for next season with Mercedes.
Martin Brundle revealed that the British driver has been affected by his team's pursuit of the reigning world champion.
Russell's contract extension with Mercedes was reportedly placed on hold whilst Wolff pursued discussions with Verstappen.
The four-time world champion ultimately ruled out any switch to Mercedes for next season, citing his existing Red Bull contract which runs through to 2028.
Martin Brundle believes George Russel has been left upset by how Mercedes have treated contract negotiations
|REUTERS
But Brundle has not been happy with the way Mercedes have chosen to deal with the Briton, stating: “I would have signed George a long time ago, because George is not happy, is he?”
He questioned whether the team had unnecessarily complicated their driver arrangements through their pursuit of Verstappen.
"It's very easy to see that George feels quite bruised about all the Max talk and what have you through the summer," he added.
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Despite Verstappen's rejection, Wolff has indicated Mercedes intends to retain Russell alongside Andrea Kimi Antonelli for the 2026 campaign.
Both drivers' current agreements expire at the conclusion of this season.
During a conversation with fellow Sky F1 pundit and former world champion Nico Rosberg, Brundle praised Russell's current form.
He noted: "He's driving so beautifully. He really... he just looks the real deal, he's confident."
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Martin Brundle has not been happy with Mercedes contract negotiations
| GETTYRosberg concurred with Brundle's assessment, stating: "I'll agree with you, Martin, that for me, George is top three, at the very least, in terms of driver this year. Phenomenally consistent, so rapid, he is always extracting the maximum from that car."
The former Mercedes driver also highlighted how Russell's exceptional performances create additional pressure for Antonelli, who faces comparison with "one of the very, very best out there."
Russell finished fifth at the Italian Grand Prix, capping off a decent performance for the Silver Arrows, while Antonelli took home the final point in his first home race.
The Briton currently sits fourth in the drivers standing ahead of both Ferrari's, with his teenage team-mate down in eighth.
Former F1 world champion Nico Rosberg had nothing but praise for George Russell
| PABrundle suggested Mercedes had created their own difficulties, contrasting their situation with the stability at rival teams.
"When you look at the calm of McLaren and other teams, I just think they've injected too many of their own problems into the driver lineup," he concluded.
Mercedes do not have long left in this season to make a decision on their final driver line up for 2026, where a new set of regulations is ready to shake up the whole field.