George Russell has shared the "reality" of his contract negotiations with Toto Wolff, saying that the Austrian has "never let me down."
Russell's deal with Mercedes was set to expire at the end of this season, with Wolff openly courting Max Verstappen from Red Bull across the summer.
However, after it became clear an exit clause in Verstappen's contract for 2026 would not be triggered and that he would stay with Red Bull, Russell's extension became a formality - and was formally announced, at the same time as Kimi Antonelli - ahead of the United States GP.
Russell is also managed by Mercedes and Wolff, but Briton has described how Wolff kept his promises throughout the renegotiation process.
"Toto has always been incredibly good at rewarding those who he feels deserve it," Russell told media, including RacingNews365.
"He's always said: 'Do the job on track and leave the rest to me,' and to this day, he still has never let me down in that regard.
"So I continued to put my faith in him throughout all of this speculation that was, the truth is, mostly coming from you guys, and it was a nice story that made exciting news and whatnot.
"But the reality was quite different, and that's how the game goes.
"I'm sitting here now very happy and excited about continuing with Mercedes, not because of the money or freedom or whatever it may be, but because I believe this is my best chance to win [the world championship."
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