Wolff has no doubts about Russell: “He’s a superstar among today’s drivers”
George Russell and Mercedes are still in discussions for the 2026 Formula 1 season. Throughout the 2025 season, both the British driver and the Stuttgart-based team have repeatedly expressed their desire to continue together. However, for one reason or another—and perhaps also because the current stage of the championship is relatively quiet in terms of the driver market—the parties have not yet finalized the last contractual details.
In recent weeks, rumors have also fueled speculation by linking Max Verstappen to Mercedes, with team principal Toto Wolff sometimes appearing to respond to the rumors and other times strongly denying them. Between the Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix, the four-time Dutch World Champion firmly confirmed his intention to remain with Red Bull Racing for 2026, causing all previously circulating speculations about Mercedes to collapse like a house of cards.
Toto Wolff: “Russell drives beyond the car’s limits and is our lead driver”
One might wonder why a team principal like Toto Wolff occasionally entertained these rumors, even if very rarely and always with careful subtlety. Toto Wolff himself explained to Formula.hu: “Formula 1 is a tough sport. Sometimes you need to keep all doors open and consider options to secure the medium- to long-term future. A key part of this sport is knowing how to manage pressure,” as reported by Crash.net.
It seems there has been a sort of test of strength between Toto Wolff and George Russell. According to the Mercedes team principal, the situation can only conclude in one way: “George has been fast from the very beginning, right from his arrival in the team. Together with Lewis Hamilton, he has grown immensely and last year was even the best, becoming our lead driver. On many occasions, he manages to drive beyond the car’s capabilities, especially when the car is more unpredictable. For me, among the current drivers on the grid, he is a superstar,” Wolff concluded.
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