Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle has stated that both Mercedes drivers being out of contract at the end of the 2025 season is 'unusual', after Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both extended their stays with the team.
Hamilton finally penned a new two-year deal this week following months of speculation as his partnership with Mercedes looks set to stretch over a decade.
The new contract will take the seven-time world champion past his 40th birthday as he seeks to eclipse Michael Schumacher's record and become the most successful driver in the history of the sport.
At the same time, the team confirmed a new agreement had been reached with Russell following two years as Hamilton's team-mate.
Both drivers will stay until 2025 - a season before F1 undergoes another raft of regulation changes, chiefly concerning power units.
Yet Brundle has said that it is strange to have both drivers out of contract simultaneously.
“[As well as Hamilton] The team have also announced George Russell is staying in the other car until the end of 2025," he told Sky Sports. "[It's] unusual to have both your drivers out of contract at the same time. The new engines come in 2026 but we don't know what other clauses and options are in those contracts."
There haven't been too many occasions in 2023 when Hamilton has been in front of Verstappen
The last two seasons have been extremely difficult for Mercedes, who have seen their domination of F1 completely disappear.
Red Bull have taken over that mantle as Max Verstappen aims to make it a hat-trick of world titles.
Even though there are ten races remaining, it appears to be a formality that the Dutchman will win after taking the chequered flag in 11 of the 13 races so far, with team-mate Sergio Perez winning the other two.
Brundle has warned Mercedes that they must provide a much better car in 2024 to stop Red Bull, but he believes Hamilton and Russell are capable enough drivers.
He added: “Well, they've got to bin this car because they've had one and a half seasons of trying to make it work trying to make it talk to the drivers and be predictable and it just isn't it.
"I think we have no doubt that both Lewis and George Russell have the speed and the ability to take it to Red Bull as long as they've got the grip and the power.”
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