Parc Ferme: Time to ink the paper!

Instead, the focus was on Russell's teammate, Kimi Antonelli, and the other bit players squabbling for the first and second spots on the podium.

George may not be the most charismatic Formula 1 driver on the grid, but he does have his own distinct style. He’s more ‘seize the weekend’ than ‘carpe diem’, a silent assassin as opposed to a conspicuous opponent. The kind of driver you don’t see coming, until he passes you… waving.

He’s also smart with the mind games, managing to put Red Bull in a spin with a throwaway comment on licenses and penalty point tallies.

The King's Lynn pilot has also seamlessly adapted to the roles of the Mercedes team leader and, dare I say, with Bono, mentor for the young Antonelli.

The Italian rookie is super-fast but has a feisty nature that can get him into trouble. Russell’s performance this season has deflected some of the pressure for Antonelli to deliver and led the way to achieving second place in the Constructor Championship standings.

Considering all this, you would have thought that Toto Wolff would have sealed the deal by now to retain the Englishman’s services for 2026 and beyond.

However, this appears not to be the case. The sound of foot-dragging is becoming deafening. Something that was painfully apparent when, after delivering a stunning pole lap, he repeatedly had to ask the team to say something on the radio on his in-lap.

Toto eventually came on to offer some fairly tepid platitudes. But nothing compared to the “love” he used to express to Lewis Hamilton back in the day.

No doubt the Mercedes team principal is in that long paddock queue to the left, waiting for Max Verstappen to come off the pot – Who isn’t?

However, when Max leaves Red Bull next year, the destination will almost certainly be Aston Martin. They have the money, the engine, and the designer, whereas Mercedes has…?

It is also worth noting that if Jos and Christian Horner were a flammable pairing, then they could look inert in comparison to Jos and Toto.

Performance to date, Parc Ferme would rate George as the third-best driver on an exceedingly tight grid. With Max number one, Oscar Piastri number two, and a joint fourth for Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc.

As Piastri is going nowhere soon, Toto needs to wake up and smell the Benzine. His adopted Italian son is still well short of Russell – normally around four tenths.

Evidence to date suggests that it is a gap that is unlikely to close in the near future.

Verstappen is not famous for his nurturing personality, but he is for his teammate-crushing temperament—not something that the young Kimi is ready to field.

After Mercedes’ initial “fail” in managing this young prodigious talent, the kid-glove, protective approach is working well.

Retaining George would be the smart move to help maintain Kimi’s slow but impressive trajectory, whilst ensuring the team is getting wins and points on the board.

If Toto doesn’t seal the deal soon, it is possible that someone else may jump in. Red Bull has another generational talent that needs a bit of time to cook. George would be an ideal replacement for Max until he comes to the boil.