Aston Martin is among the teams that have reportedly shown interest in signing Mercedes driver George Russell for the 2026 season.
Russell, who joined Mercedes from Williams ahead of the 2022 season, has entered the final six months of his current contract with the Brackley team.
George Russell moving from Mercedes to Aston Martin?
Despite long-standing rumours that Mercedes could make a sensational move by bringing in Red Bull driver and four-time world champion Max Verstappen for the 2026 season, Russell spoke optimistically about the possibility of extending his partnership with Mercedes. However, with his contract coming to an end, it appears that Russell is already exploring other options in the early months of the 2025 season.
Although Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are tied down to long-term contracts, McLaren bosses Zak Brown and Andrea Stella were seen publicly chatting with Russell in the paddock during the opening race of the season – the Australian Grand Prix in March.
Max Verstappen at Aston Martin? Or as a replacement for George Russell at Mercedes?
At the next race in China, Russell was seen greeting Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore warmly. In April, reports emerged that Russell had held informal talks with Red Bull boss Christian Horner about a possible engagement for the 2026 season. Horner has previously expressed his admiration for Russell, admitting at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix that Red Bull would be “mad” to ignore him as a potential candidate for a seat in the car.
However, according to The Times, Aston Martin has now emerged as a possible new destination for Russell, with the Silverstone team said to be one of those who have shown an interest. Despite sitting ninth in the constructors’ standings after nine races in the 2025 season, Aston Martin are widely expected to become a serious team in the coming years. The British team will enter into a factory partnership with Honda – Red Bull’s current engine supplier – in time for the new technical regulations that come into force in the 2026 season.
Aston Martin’s first car for the new era of Formula 1 is currently being developed by Adrian Newey, the legendary designer and most decorated individual in F1 history: over 200 wins and a total of 26 titles in both drivers’ and constructors’ competitions. Newey joined the team this year as a technical partner.
Newey made his first track appearance as a member of Aston Martin at the recent Monaco Grand Prix, where he studied the McLaren MCL39 of Oscar Piastri, currently the leading car in the championship, on the grid.
Russell took his first steps in F1 with Aston Martin (then Force India) in 2017, when he participated in free practice during the race weekends for the Brazilian and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The British driver made his F1 debut with Williams two years later, after winning the prestigious F2 championship title in 2018. Rumors of Aston Martin’s interest in Russell come after the team was linked earlier this season with a shock bid to bring in Verstappen in a move worth as much as $300m ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, further heightened by the incident with the four-time champion at the Spanish Grand Prix.
PlanetF1, on the other hand, claims that Aston Martin has stressed that it remains fully committed to its existing driver line-up – Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll – who are under contract until at least the end of the 2026 season.
Extending his contract with Mercedes continues to appear to be Russell’s priority for the 2026 season, especially as the Brackley outfit are believed to be at the forefront of preparations for a new era of technical regulations.
According to a report from the Bahrain Grand Prix race weekend in April, only one engine manufacturer is in “good shape” for 2026, while the other four face serious difficulties in developing new power units.
Additionally, it is claimed that this news is not surprising because during the incident in Barcelona between Verstappen and Russell, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff did not defend the Briton, but stated that he was waiting for the Dutchman’s statement, while Russell fiercely criticized the current champion for his move. As a result, the rumor gains weight because it has long been known that Wolff wants a four-time champion in his ranks.
