George Russell urged to give Mercedes ultimatum as Alpine opportunity considered

Guenther Steiner has argued that Alpine could decide to snap up George Russell if the Briton is unable to reach an agreement with Mercedes for a contract extension.

Russell’s current contract with the Brackley outfit expires at the end of the year, and while both he and team chief Toto Wolff have insisted they have no doubt an agreement will be reached, he has yet to put pen to paper.

"Well, we are like super near. Something like that," Wolff explained to Sky Sports F1 when asked for an update on the contract in Singapore.

While discussing Russell's contract during The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner was asked if he thought the British driver could threaten to take a year out of the championship to gain more leverage in the negotiations with the Brackley outfit. The Italian claimed that if Russell did that, another team such as Alpine could swoop in and snap him up. 

"I think that, for George, is perfectly fine with the form he’s in at the moment. If he makes that commitment, I think somebody will find a place for him. And we were just talking about Alpine, maybe Alpine says, 'Hey, if you’re on the market...' to get a calibre like him in a car, everybody will want him.

"Obviously, most of the teams are full or all of them are full, but somebody will come up with a solution, but, as you say, if he’s brave enough and wants to play hardball.

Guenther Steiner

Photo by: Jayce Illman / Getty Images

"I think there is very little leverage for both of them. But I think George has got more than Mercedes because who are you going to put in there?"

Russell celebrated his second win of the season at the Singapore Grand Prix after leading a commanding race from pole position. He currently sits fourth in the drivers' standings with 237 points, 36 points behind Max Verstappen in third.

“Contract-wise, good things take a while,” Wolff said after Russell's Singapore Grand Prix win. “It's about the detail, and it's not about the big topics.”