George Russell Earns Rare Praise as Toto Wolff Makes Surprising Confession

After months of whispers and speculation, Mercedes has finally made its 2026 lineup official, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli continuing as teammates into the next season. This news ends one of the sport’s most talked-about debates about whether CEO Toto Wolff would shake up his driver lineup ahead of F1’s new era of regulations.

The announcement came just before the United States Grand Prix but didn’t include any contract details, as the Brackley-based team decided to choose stability over the risk of signing someone else and shaking up their lineup. Wolff’s recent comments about Russell caught everyone’s attention, which was a rare moment of public admiration.

What Did Toto Wolff Admit About George Russell?

Wolff is known for being measured with his words, but at a recent Autosport event in New York, he offered some rare and honest thoughts about Russell’s journey with the Silver Arrows.

“First of all, I think there was so much hype around Lewis leaving and an 18-year-old coming, and the risk that we were taking but as a matter of fact, there was not so much risk because we had George,” Wolff said. “In a way, he was always under-rated in all of those years. Maybe because of his more introverted personality. Then obviously if your teammate is Lewis Hamilton, you won’t get a lot of, how can I say, the reach of eyeballs.”

“George was always underrated”

Toto Wolff discussing his Mercedes driver lineup for 2026 at the Autosport Business Exchange in New York today 🗣️#ABXNYC pic.twitter.com/2FqLXpzZ3M

— Autosport (@autosport) October 15, 2025

It’s not often you hear Wolff make such a personal comment, but it shows his respect for the British driver. Russell joined Mercedes full-time in 2022 after three solid years with Williams, where he earned praise for dragging an underperforming car higher up the grid than it deserved. His calm head and strong work ethic soon earned him Wolff’s trust, and he saw himself joining the Brackley outfit.

Wolff also admitted, “It was always good to know that we had George as one of the best drivers and then bringing Kimi on was a long-term plan.”

Russell’s Confidence Grows as New Era Nears

Russell enters the Austin weekend full of confidence after a commanding win in Singapore. He said continuing with Mercedes felt like the right step as the sport heads into major regulation changes in 2026.

“I am really proud to be continuing our journey together,” Russell said. “Next year will mark my 10th since I signed with Mercedes back in 2017. It has been such a long and successful partnership with the team so far and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead, particularly as we embark on regulation changes. We are all incredibly focused on making that a success.”

On the other hand, the 19-year-old rookie Antonelli has had a rollercoaster debut season since replacing Hamilton with a sprint pole in Miami and a podium in Canada, but has also faced the growing pains that come with adapting to F1. Wolff said the team is protecting him from the intense pressure of being Italy’s biggest racing hope in decades.

Russell’s new contract is said to be “multi-year,” although the exact length remains hidden from the F1 world. Insiders believe there’s flexibility built in in case Mercedes can’t stay competitive under the new rules.

Either way, Wolff’s comments show that he sees Russell as more than Hamilton’s successor and the driver Mercedes is betting on to lead them into F1’s next big chapter.