"My seat for 2027 is in my hands," insists George Russell as he sheds light on latest Mercedes contract.

Despite Toto Wolff's insistence that it was always a done deal, there is no doubt that before he put pen to paper on Russell's new contract the Austrian was keenly watching events unfold at Red Bull.

It's all too easy to claim that talk of Verstappen was a red herring when the fact is that the Dutchman's own future was in doubt until Monza and the Austrian team's revival.

Though equally insistent that it was a done deal, only now can Russell give insight into his new contract, which, according to the Montreal and Singapore winner, puts the ball firmly in his court in terms of 2027 and beyond.

"It is something I haven't actually said publicly, but the deal is, if I'm performing, we have a specific clause that if I reach (a target), we will automatically renew for 2027," the Briton tells the Telegraph.

"So, my seat for 2027 is in my hands," he adds.

"I'm not being strung along here," he insists. "We're not going to be in the same position as we were six months ago. If I perform, and I don't want to go into details, but if I perform, then 100 per cent I'll be staying."

"Everything works out for the best," he continues. "I actually wanted to sign the deal back in October 2024 but the deal I got today is substantially better than what I would have got had I signed it then. So yeah, sometimes I think you just have to trust in your ability and I feel I'm only getting stronger."

Amidst the turmoil at Red Bull, Verstappen is said to have had a clause in his contract that left him a free agent for 2026 were he outside the top three at the time of the summer break, and while that particular hurdle has been overcome there remains the question of 2027, particularly when there is so much uncertainty around the Austrian team's engine for next season.

Russell and Verstappen had a much-publicised spat last year, with the Briton labelling his Dutch rival a bully. Recent revelations courtesy of (Sky) reporter Ted Kravitz', indicate that the Mercedes driver sought to take full advantage of the situation.

"We just say hello to each other," says Russell of the four-time world champion. "We don't really speak, but we don't ignore each other.

"I don't lose sleep over it," he adds. "And for sure he doesn't lose sleep over it. So it doesn't bother me one single bit.

"Life is short," he continues. "We're all adults. We all learn from these experiences. You don't need to be best mates as teammates. Max is an incredible driver. There's no denying that. But that's why I would relish going up against him. We all believe we're the best."

Indeed, speaking in the wake of his Singapore win Russell claimed he was ready to challenge for the title.

"That's not just marketing talk," he insists. "I'd probably say potentially the only ones who wouldn't (swap teams) would be the McLaren guys."