Ferrari sounding out George Russell as Hamilton uncertainty lingers — report
Ferrari’s long game may be pointing towards George Russell. That’s the line from Italy, where Corriere della Sera reports the Mercedes driver is admired in Maranello’s corridors and could be a future target if either Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc vacate a seat.
It’s a tidy piece of timing. Mercedes recently confirmed its 2026 pairing of Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, drawing a line under months of speculation and a very public flirtation with Max Verstappen earlier in the year. Russell admitted back at the Austrian Grand Prix that Verstappen talks were “ongoing” and had slowed his own deal. When the dust settled, Mercedes didn’t reveal the exact term, but Russell has since clarified his contract includes a trigger that automatically carries him into 2027 if he hits performance targets next season, as reported by PlanetF1.com. In other words: the door’s not open, but Ferrari’s keeping an eye on the latch.
According to the Corriere piece, Russell is considered “highly regarded at the top” at Ferrari, his stock rising off the back of a tidy body of work since stepping up from Williams in 2022. This season he’s added wins in Canada and Singapore to make it five career victories, a reminder that he extracts points on days when Mercedes aren’t the class of the field. At 27, he fits the sweet spot for a multi-year project if one ever became available in red.
Why would Ferrari be looking? Because the picture around its current lineup is complicated. A separate report this week claimed the team has decided against offering Hamilton an extension when his existing contract runs its course. On paper, Hamilton’s deal to join Ferrari from Mercedes was billed as a multi-year arrangement, and Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport has previously suggested there’s a driver-side option that could carry him through 2027. If that clause exists, it gives Ferrari limited say over the timing — unless Hamilton himself opts to call time.
Right now, 2025 hasn’t been the debut Hamilton imagined. Twenty grands prix in, the seven-time champion is still chasing his first Ferrari podium, a stat that will sting as much in Maranello as it does in the Hamilton camp. If 2026 doesn’t yield a step change under the new engine and aero framework, the prospect of both sides reassessing for 2027 isn’t hard to picture.
Then there’s Leclerc. He signed a fresh long-term agreement in January 2024, but the rumor mill has been relentless whenever Ferrari’s form dips. The Monegasque has been steadfast in public. Speaking at the United States Grand Prix, he shot down talk of a move and doubled down on the one mission he’s repeated for years: “My only obsession at the moment is to win in red,” he said, adding that speculation around the team “not coming from actual facts” has been more noise than substance. Leclerc’s position — and his pull inside Ferrari — remains strong.
Still, the Russell angle is impossible to ignore because of history and fit. He knows Hamilton well after their three years together at Mercedes from 2022 to 2024, a stint in which Russell outscored the veteran in 2022 and 2024 and took three wins to Hamilton’s two. He’s also shown the sort of adaptability Ferrari covets: quick over one lap, rarely messy in traffic, and ruthless when the chance presents itself.
The snag, of course, is availability. With Mercedes plotting its way into the 2026 ruleset and protecting continuity around Antonelli’s integration, Russell looks locked down unless something tectonic shifts. Toto Wolff’s outfit also hasn’t slammed the door on revisiting old ambitions — Verstappen’s name never truly leaves the room in Brackley — but with Russell’s automatic 2027 trigger sitting there, the safer read is that Mercedes are building around him and letting the rest of the market blink first.
Ferrari’s side of the ledger isn’t exactly placid either. The team has to get its car consistently into the fight before any grand driver maneuvers matter. If Hamilton’s form rebounds and Leclerc’s faith is rewarded, this story gets parked for another year. If not, it’s no surprise the Scuderia is keeping tabs on every top-tier option — and Russell, by most paddock measures, is absolutely that.
For now, file it under smart contingency planning. Russell’s camp can point to a pathway at Mercedes that runs clean through the new regulations. Ferrari can publicly back its star duo while keeping a weather eye on the Brits next door. And the rest of us can enjoy what F1 does best in the off-track theatre: keep the whispers alive until someone forces a hand.
