The Formula 1 season resumed at Zandvoort after the mandatory summer shutdown, and while there was drama on the track with Lando Norris‘ retirement, many of the earlier talking points in the paddock were fuelled by contract situations and developments in the United States.

Mixed messages from Russell

Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, George Russell admitted that there appeared to be times he and Mercedes were not aligned on their best interests, and that the lack of a contract so far had been unsettling.

“For both Kimi and I, these past months have not been the most assuring for our future, and that’s just been a bit conflicting.”

So it felt a bit strange to hear the driver claim on Thursday that he’d not wanted to move forward with talks over the summer break – despite a willingness from Mercedes to do so – and that he was not in a rush to sign a new deal, because he is certain it will happen at some stage.

Russell doesn’t appear to have other options but staying at Mercedes

Perhaps Russell is simply more comfortable as a result of Max Verstappen no longer being an option in 2026, but he admitted he had been at risk earlier this year, and a contract extension would significantly reduce any risk that remains.

It’s highly likely that a new deal comes his way and Mercedes retains its current line-up, but it felt like mixed messages from Russell, who has little power in negotiations given the fact he is ultimately managed by Mercedes. Sources suggest it could be an attempt to appear to have a little bit of control, but any significant change in Russell’s future would have to come with the team’s input.

Palou still gets some press

There was a slightly unusual story that emerged a week ago, amid the timing of Cadillac announcing its first driver line-up of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. It linked Alex Palou with Red Bull, with the Indy Star claiming Red Bull had shown an interest in signing the IndyCar champion.

Palou’s manager denied it, so too did anyone associated with the Spaniard at Chip Ganassi Racing, and then Ganassi himself was very punchy in saying: “I think it’s a clickbait story. Somebody needs to brush up their investigative journalism.”

Those denials didn’t stop drivers in Zandvoort getting asked about it though, with the Spanish media in particular understandably interested in hearing from Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz about how Palou might fare in Formula 1 machinery.

As much as the timing would help – joining when there’s a reset for all drivers amid new rules – Red Bull categorically stated there was “no truth at all” to the rumours, shooting them down again after Max Verstappen was also asked about the idea.

It then begged the question: where did the story come from? Somebody had to have suggested it for it to be reported by such a well-connected IndyCar publication, and theories range from an IndyCar source wanting to use F1 media to amplify its champion after a dominant year, to a rival team looking to destabilise Ganassi and Palou.

Either way, it meant the four-time champion’s name was being spoken about in Zandvoort, and I’m adding to that coverage in a way by writing about the topic again right now, so it worked to a degree.

Red Bull shopping around

Another explanation for the Palou story could be that he was sounded out by Red Bull, along with a very long list of other drivers. Initial contact could have been made just to understand the contractual status of multiple potential candidates to partner Max Verstappen, including Palou.

With Yuki Tsunoda still struggling in the second seat – continuing a trend over the past 18 months that extends beyond him through Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez – it has become clear that Red Bull is assessing all of the options it might have available to it for 2026, with it likely the Japanese driver will also be replaced.

Despite a good recovery so far this season, promoting Lawson immediately still comes with question marks after how his two-race stint was handled earlier this year, while Isack Hadjar has shown real potential but lessons are being learned from the previous mistakes. While both could be in the frame – with Arvid Lindblad awaiting a Racing Bulls promotion – if neither is chosen, then Red Bull has to look elsewhere in a largely locked F1 driver market.

Palou may have been put on a long list of options, with sources suggesting there have been a number of initial enquiries around the paddock, of the kind that happen regularly across all teams.

No clear favourite has yet emerged, but that does suggest Red Bull remains unsure of what it wants to do with the seat alongside Verstappen next year.

Sainz’s painful withdrawal

If there’s one sport that appears to be a significant passion for a number of drivers on the grid that does not involve racing, it’s golf. A number of them take their golf very seriously, with Lando Norris stating before the summer break that his shutdown would involve three things: “Golf, golf, and golf”.

Norris has played with Carlos Sainz on many occasions, but Sainz had a very special opportunity during the summer to tee it up with tennis legend Rafael Nadal. The only problem was that the competitive edge had them fully committed, to such an extent that Sainz started to feel some discomfort in his hand from playing his shots.

Having to take care ahead of the return to racing a week later, Sainz begrudgingly had to withdraw from the round after just eight holes, leaving his father to take on Nadal in what he described as an increasingly tense match.

It proved to be a smart move from Sainz, who suffered no ill effects in the race, although he might have wished he’d carried on playing after his collision with Liam Lawson earned him a time penalty.

Herta on the move to F2?

While Alex Palou was getting coverage, it is actually Colton Herta who is more likely to carry the IndyCar flag across the pond, but not immediately to Formula 1.

Herta has been a long-term project for Cadillac – and previously Andretti – in terms of making the crossover, but the 25-year-old has yet to secure the necessary FIA superlicence points and again missed out this year after finishing seventh in the IndyCar standings, leaving him on 35 of the required 40 points over the past three seasons. So a move to Formula 2 has been explored, for multiple reasons.

One is obvious, with far more superlicence points on offer in F2 than IndyCar. But it also would mean plenty of running on 14 of the 24 grand prix circuits, and some experience with Pirelli rubber. Such a move would also allow Herta to be closer to the Cadillac set-up at races, better preparing him for potential race seat in future.

Multiple F2 teams have been sounded out about the idea of running Herta over the past few months, and there could even be openings on the grid after Monza, but it remains to be seen if the discussions turn into a concrete move.

Herta posted Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ on social media after Sunday’s final IndyCar race – which could either be him teasing fans with the Rickrolling meme or suggesting he plans on staying put – but many F2 teams were still awaiting further developments.