Russell credits Wolff's no-sack loyalty as Mercedes seal ninth constructors' title

Mercedes sealed their ninth constructors’ championship at the São Paulo Grand Prix, ending a four-year drought that stretched from 2022 to 2025 — and George Russell believes the team’s stability under Toto Wolff was the decisive factor behind the comeback.

The Brackley outfit had dominated Formula 1 with eight consecutive titles before the ground effect era exposed fundamental weaknesses in their car concept. Despite finishing second in two of those lean seasons, Russell says the internal pressure was significant — and that Wolff’s decision to stand by his people rather than overhaul the roster made all the difference.

“We have been through a lot over those years. It’s been extremely tough times,” Russell told media after the race at Interlagos. “But I think something I admire a lot about Toto’s leadership is that the people we have today are the same people who were there during the glory years, and they’re the same people who went through the difficulties during 2022 to 2025. Nobody was hired or fired. Credit to everybody in the team, but huge credit to Toto for that loyalty and belief in the people, even when times were tough.”

Wolff echoed that sentiment when asked about the role of organisational stability, though he was careful to frame it in broader cultural terms. “We are not a hire and fire organisation,” the Austrian said. “We provide a culture and an environment where you can thrive, where you’re allowed to make mistakes, where you can speak up. And over the long term, I believe if you want to be successful — not over a period of a few years, but over many, many decades — this is what you need to be able to ingrain in the team.”

Wolff also acknowledged that the numbers alone did not capture how difficult those years felt from the inside. “It wasn’t that bad at all when you look at the sheer numbers, but it felt not good,” he said. “The resilience of the team, the people that held together in those tough times, is a factor, I think.”

Russell, who joined Mercedes at the start of the 2022 season, experienced the entire downturn first-hand. His own 2026 campaign has been a personal struggle, with team-mate Kimi Antonelli claiming the drivers’ championship while Russell sits third in the standings. Despite that, the Briton’s public praise for Wolff’s leadership suggests the team’s internal cohesion remains intact — a foundation, both men argue, built on years of choosing loyalty over reaction.