Mercedes Chief Slams George Russell Future Doubts Amid Max Verstappen Interest - 'Commitment To Our Drivers'

Mercedes Chief Toto Wolff dismisses doubts about George Russell's future at the team amid interest in Max Verstappen.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, left, chats with Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of Mercedes-AMG Petronas, in the garage at the Formula 1 Lenovo United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday October 22, 2023. / Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has dismissed speculation about the future of George Russell with the team amid ongoing interest in reigning World Champion Max Verstappen.

Wolff made his stance clear during recent talks, confirming his commitment to Mercedes' current drivers and hopes of maintaining long-term relationships with both Russell and promising young talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The Mercedes chief firmly rejected the idea of a potential "shootout" between Russell and Antonelli for a 2025 spot, stating that the focus remains on giving their drivers the best possible support. He said to Sky Sports F1:

"No. I very much hope we go a long time with these two. It is clear you always pick the best [drivers] but as it stands, that is the line-up.

"We have had an open channel over the last few years [with Verstappen]. Sometimes discussing more, sometimes discussing less, but it never came to putting terms together.

"We have a commitment to our drivers to give it our best effort so for the moment it is a pause."

However, former F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg and Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle provided a more cautious perspective. Rosberg noted the uncertainty around Russell's seat beyond 2025, given Wolff's unflagging interest in Verstappen. Rosberg commented:

"George is not safe at all because Toto still wants Max.

"He will try again for 2026 because 'give up' does not appear in Toto's vocabulary. If Max does become available - and I do think it's a possibility - then it is a shootout between George and Kimi next year.

"It's a lot of pressure on George as he has everything to lose. He should be the one ahead at the team internally, because Kimi is 18 and he's completely new and in a full-pressure situation, so it's not an easy situation for George."

Sky Sports F1 presenter and commentator Martin Brundle claimed the internal dynamics could complicate Russell's situation, particularly as Wolff seems personally invested in Antonelli.

"Clearly Toto is hugely invested personally in Kimi and with him making these overtures to Max, I think George will occasionally be looking over his shoulder wondering where he stands.

"But he's the Mercedes team leader at a time when they seem to be really coming good again and if you have a future-proof pairing in George and Antonelli and they are getting the job done, you don't need to spend north of £50m on another driver."