George Russell has taken on the role of top driver at Mercedes – According to team boss Toto Wolff, the Brit is showing strong development
Wolff is certain that Russell was already the stronger driver in the 2024 Formula 1 season when he still had seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton as his teammate. In 2025, the Brit took over the role of number one driver at Mercedes and delivered, as the team boss sums up his performance. Will there now be some movement on a contract extension?
According to Russell, there will be no news about a new contract with Mercedes in the summer. However, Wolff’s statements could be an indication that the team wants to continue with the 27-year-old. In 2024, he beat Hamilton with 245 points to his compatriot’s 223. Russell came out on top in the sprint qualifying duels with 5:1, and in the Grands Prix it was a clear 19:5.
“Let’s look at George’s development since he entered Formula 1 with Williams as a fast youngster,” said Wolff. “Last year, we already saw how strong his pure pace is, and in terms of results, he was the stronger driver. Lewis is now at Ferrari and George has taken on the role of the experienced driver – quite naturally, and he is delivering.”
Wolff praises Russell’s particular strength in getting more out of the car than it is actually capable of: “Even when the car isn’t at the level it should be, he still gets more out of it. You can always rely on George. He also behaves well towards our partners and takes part in many activities, which helps to build his own brand as well as ours. I couldn’t ask for a better number one driver.”
In 2025, Russell won in Canada and is fourth in the overall standings. That will certainly put him in a good position for contract negotiations. Such praise from Wolff is rare, especially since Mercedes has also been flirting with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Russell can now enjoy the summer break and will be back on the attack when Formula 1 resumes on August 31 in Zandvoort, Netherlands.
