Toto Wolff has no doubts: George Russell is the most underrated driver on the entire Formula 1 grid. In an interview with WIRED, the Mercedes team principal praised the qualities of the British driver, who has grown alongside Lewis Hamilton and established himself as a central figure for the team’s long-term future.
From junior series to success in Formula 1
Russell has won in every category he has raced in, from karting to Formula 3 and Formula 2. His arrival at Mercedes placed him directly next to Hamilton, a global icon of the sport. Wolff emphasized:
For me it’s clear that it’s George Russell. He has won everything. In karting, in Formula 3, in Formula 2. He joined the team alongside Lewis Hamilton, the biggest sports star in our business, if not one of the biggest in the world.
The season of confirmation
The 2025 season stands as the strongest campaign of George Russell’s Formula 1 career: two victories and nine podium finishes, with the latest achieved in Las Vegas. The British driver currently sits fourth in the championship, right behind the leading trio formed by Max Verstappen and the two McLaren drivers. Wolff added:
George has grown enormously as a driver, both in his abilities and in his personality. And I think he is now definitely at the top, and someone capable of leading the team into the future.
With Lewis Hamilton now a season in at Ferrari and the highly-rated Kimi Antonelli proving his mettle as George Russell’s rookie teammate this year, the British driver is firmly established as Mercedes’ lead driver heading into 2026. If Toto Wolff’s glowing assessment is anything to go by, the Brackley squad know they’ve got the ideal spearhead in place to launch a renewed title assault when the radical new regulations hit next season.
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