George Russell had unusual Mercedes contract demand turned down by Toto Wolff | F1 | Sport

George Russell has revealed that he tried and failed to get a Mercedes F1 car for his personal collection during the latest round of contract talks with the Silver Arrows. The 27-year-old penned a new deal last season that will see him stay with Toto Wolff’s squad throughout 2026, with options to extend beyond it.

Unfortunately, Russell was unable to add an F1 car to his collection as part of the deal, though. This isn’t unheard of in modern F1. Fernando Alonso boasts several of his previous cars, including his two title-winning Renaults, in his own museum, while Esteban Ocon has the Alpine A521, in which he won the Hungarian Grand Prix, in his family garage.

“I would love to collect my own Formula One cars,” Russell confessed. “But because of the cost cap, we only produce three or four monocoques per year. Twenty years ago, when unlimited testing was still allowed, each team built 15 to 20 chassis.

“These were then rotated regularly.” Russell then revealed his own failed negotiations, adding: “I tried to get a Formula One car during my last contract negotiations. But unfortunately, I wasn’t successful.”

Fortunately for future F1 car collection enthusiasts, Russell has proposed some changes that could fix his current predicament. “I would like to see the teams find a way to produce monocoques outside of the budget cap,” he explained. “We have enough of the other parts. Each driver has five engines per year.

“I think Mercedes produces a total of 60 engines for each season. We also have plenty of rear wings – for high, medium, and low downforce. There are also enough front wings and underbodies. We have at least ten sets of all the other parts. But there are only three or four monocoques. Maybe I should talk to the FIA ​​about that.”

Russell’s ambition will come as no surprise to those who know his passion for Mercedes motors. The Brit was one of the exclusive owners of the Mercedes-AMG One, of which only 275 were built.

Speaking to Adam Hay-Nicholls’ substack, Luxury Gonzo!, about the supercar, Russell explained: “Three years ago, when I committed to the car, I probably couldn’t afford it. It was really pushing the boat out, but I had faith in my career progression. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity, but I was quite nervous about it.”

The five-time Grand Prix winner has driven a plethora of Mercedes road machines over the years, including the Mercedes C43, the AMG GT C, and his V8-powered Mercedes G-Wagon.