George Russell's position at Mercedes is always seen as 'temporary' and he could still be replaced even if he wins the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship, a former champion has claimed.
Russell has taken the lead in the Drivers' Championship after two rounds of the 2026 F1 season.
He won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli, before the result was reversed in China as Antonelli converted pole position into a race victory.
But Russell also secured victory in the China sprint race, with his team-mate down in fifth, meaning the Brit takes a four-point lead into the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka this weekend.
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The 28-year-old signed a new contract with Mercedes ahead of 2026, with Sky Sports reporting that the agreement takes him into 2027 as well.
It remains uncertain as to what the arrangement is beyond then, however, and whether Mercedes or Russell have an option to extend further.
Max Verstappen had been hotly linked with a move to the Silver Arrows midway through 2025, but the Dutchman told Sky Sports that it was 'always quite clear that I was staying anyway' after committing to remain at Red Bull.
Speaking on the 'Stay On Track' podcast, 1996 world champion Damon Hill has suggested that, even if Russell wins the championship, he is not 'guaranteed' to stay at Mercedes - while questioning what more he can do.
"Kimi [Antonelli] is Toto [Wolff, team principal]'s protege, if you like," Hill stated. "He's put his reputation on the line to get this guy in. Toto's delighted that he's now won a race.
"Meanwhile, George has been trying his very best to impress for them for, I don't know how many seasons. It got to the point last season where he had to re-sign, and it went on a bit, didn't it?
"It wasn't like Toto was desperate to re-sign George. It was a bit of a Mexican stand-off."
"So George is always temporary," he claimed, when asked by co-host Johnny Herbert about whether Verstappen could replace him.
"It's almost as if you're standing there going, 'Why can't you recognise what I've got? Why is there not the same fuss over my offering?'
"He's got the opportunity now to win the championship. But that's not going to guarantee him his future at Mercedes, strangely enough."
Hill was speaking from personal experience, having been dropped by Williams in favour of Jacques Villeneuve - who moved to F1 from the States - after winning the title in 1996.
As for the lengthy negotiations with Russell last season, Wolff claimed that Mercedes 'wanted to take our time, handle the negotiations properly and make sure everyone, on all sides, was happy'.
Could Russell leave Mercedes?
Swiss outlet Blick claim that, while his deal is only a 1+1 arrangement, Antonelli instead has a contract until 2029.
Speculation surrounding Russell's future may sound surprising, given that he is only 28 years old, is proving to be a valuable source of consistency for Mercedes and has been with the team since he signed a contract as a junior driver.
He finished ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in his final Mercedes season before moving to Ferrari, and arguably only missed out on a race win in China earlier this month because he suffered a technical malfunction during qualifying that cost him a shot at pole position.
But Verstappen, a driver who won four consecutive world titles at Red Bull between 2021 and 2024, may consider his future elsewhere if Red Bull cannot bounce back from an uncompetitive start to the new season.
The Dutchman could only finish sixth in Australia after a brake failure caused him to crash out of qualifying, before he retired from fifth place in China due to a coolant issue.
"It's terrible," Verstappen told reporters in China. "Not fun at all. Playing Mario Kart. This is not racing.
"Boosting past, then you run out of battery, the next straight they boost part you again. For me, it's just a joke.
"It's just Kimi or George winning, right? They're miles ahead of the field. It's just that Ferrari sometimes has these good starts, then they push themselves in front, and then it takes a few laps to sort it all out."
Topics: George Russell, Mercedes, Formula 1
Ryan Smart