Article by Tudor Belivacă – Published on Sunday, January 18, 2026, 6:03 p.m. / Updated on Sunday, January 18, 2026, 6:03 p.m.
British driver George Russell has revealed details of a rather extravagant request he made during negotiations for his new contract with the Mercedes Formula 1 team, but which was refused. Towards the end of the 2025 season, Russell secured a contract extension with the team, which will keep him at the team in 2026 as a teammate of Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The 27-year-old driver wants to start adding Formula 1 single-seaters to his personal car collection, which already includes his “dream car”: a Mercedes-AMG One. The Briton tried to add this aspect to the contract, but was met with Toto Wolff's refusal. The decision is an explainable one, given that very few chassis are produced in a competitive season.
What George Russell asked Toto Wolff for the extension with Mercedes: “I tried to get a Formula 1 car”
George Russell on the track in Montreal / Photo: Imago
“I would really like to collect the Formula 1 cars I race,” Russell said, according to sportal.bg.
“But because of the budget cap, we only produce three or four chassis a year. Twenty years ago, when unlimited testing was still allowed, each team would build 15 to 20 cars, which were changed regularly.
I tried to get a Formula 1 car during my last contract negotiations. But unfortunately I didn't make it. I'd love to see teams find a way to produce single-seaters outside of the budget cap. We have enough other parts. Each driver has five engines per year.
I think Mercedes makes a total of 60 engines per season. We also have many rear wings – for high, medium and low downforce. There are also enough front fenders and floors. We have at least ten sets of all other tracks. But there are only three or four chassis. Maybe I should talk to the FIA about that,” continued George Russell.
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George Russell has 152 races in Formula 1, 5 wins, 24 podiums and 7 pole positions in Formula 1. He raced for Williams from 2019 to 2021, and in 2022 he moved to Mercedes.
