While waiting for George Russell’s contract renewal, Toto Wolff has spoken highly of the British driver. According to Wolff, supported by the statistics, George Russell was already the stronger Mercedes driver in 2024 when he raced alongside Lewis Hamilton.
George Russell’s contract situation has been a topic of discussion for several weeks and remains highly relevant. Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, has already made it clear that no contract renewal will take place or be announced during the 2025 Formula 1 summer break.
This calm approach, which might seem unusual at first given that Russell is one of the top drivers in the championship and his contract expires at the end of the season, actually has several valid reasons behind it. Chief among these is the unavailability of Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion, currently sitting third in the Drivers’ Championship at midseason, is committed to remain with Red Bull Racing through 2026 as per his contract with the team, now managed by Laurent Mekies.
This, in turn, assures George Russell of his place at Mercedes for the next season. However, even though Mercedes has yet to finalize the contract, Toto Wolff recently offered some significant praise for Russell.
The Mercedes team principal applauded Russell’s clear progression since joining the Brackley-based team, particularly after he took on the mantle of lead driver, succeeding none other than Lewis Hamilton himself.
“When I look at George, I see the progress he has made since entering Formula 1 as a young prospect with Williams,” Wolff explained. “Then he was signed by Mercedes, where he obviously partnered with the greatest of all time, Lewis Hamilton.”
Wolff also made a pointed and likely deliberate observation about the Russell-Hamilton pairing during Hamilton’s final season with Mercedes in 2024. According to the Austrian manager, Russell had already become the stronger driver before Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes to join Ferrari.
“You saw last year that he began to show great strength in terms of raw speed and results, becoming the strongest driver,” Wolff said. “Now that Lewis has moved to Ferrari, George has naturally stepped into the senior driver role and is delivering excellent results.”
“He achieves results even when the car isn’t at the highest level and consistently outperforms the machinery. You can always rely on George. Beyond his driving skills, he is also excellent with our partners and engages in many activities that help build both his brand and ours. So we couldn’t ask for a better number one driver.”
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