George Russell and his team principal Toto Wolff have confirmed that contract negotiations are not an immediate priority.
Two notable paddock developments are unfolding in Melbourne. Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reports that McLaren CEO Zak Brown recently reached out to Max Verstappen's management to "explore the market".
Meanwhile, Mercedes driver Russell was seen chatting with Brown and McLaren team boss Andrea Stella in the Albert Park paddock.
Last year, Wolff publicly courted Verstappen as a possible successor to Lewis Hamilton, who is now at Ferrari. In the end, Mercedes opted for Kimi Antonelli.
Now, it's 27-year-old Russell's Mercedes contract that expires at the end of this year.
"We had a conversation a few weeks ago about what the right timeline for negotiations might look like," Wolff said. "We'll definitely find time to talk about it before the summer.
"The point is not to disrupt our season."
The Austrian stressed that chasing Verstappen is no longer on the agenda.
"If you already have a good relationship, you don't flirt with others," said Wolff. "The Verstappen topic is not currently on our radar at all. I want to focus primarily on my guys."
Russell, for his part, remains unfazed by the prospect of mid-season talks.
"I think we have a very long relationship and we trust each other a lot," he said. "And honestly, this is a sport that is all about results. So there's no pressure at all from my side about the contract.
"I have no doubts within myself, and I know that everything will fall into place when the time comes. And, like I said, right now we have more important things to think about that will help us get back to the top," Russell added.
Wolff, meanwhile, plans to ease the pressure on Russell this year, particularly with an 18-year-old, highly touted teammate now secured on a longer deal.
"George knows we don't expect him to beat Kimi every time," the Mercedes boss said. "We wouldn't have signed Kimi if we thought that would happen.
"I think Kimi is on a similar level to George in terms of speed. But there's still a lot for him to learn, especially with the tyres on the longer runs."
