Wolff backs Russell to bounce back after Marko writes off his title chances

Toto Wolff has publicly defended George Russell after former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko declared the Mercedes driver’s days as a genuine world championship contender were over, with rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli on the verge of clinching the 2026 Formula 1 title at this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.

Antonelli, 20, leads Russell by 123 points with 125 still available across the final five races, meaning the Italian needs only a handful of points in Mexico to be crowned champion. The teenager won five consecutive races at the start of the season and has taken nine victories in total in 2026, including a win at the United States Grand Prix in Austin where Russell finished eighth.

Marko, now a pundit for Sky Germany after departing Red Bull at the end of last year, used that Austin result to deliver a blunt verdict on Russell’s future. “Russell is no longer the number one driver,” Marko said. “Antonelli has quite clearly taken that spot from him. I doubt whether he’ll ever have another chance at the world title or be given number one status anywhere.”

Wolff was unequivocal in his rebuttal after the race. “Helmut, he’s my Austrian not-so-buddy, but I respect his opinion,” the Mercedes boss said. “But I think he’s wrong on George. George has all the ability. I think the car doesn’t suit him.”

Wolff acknowledged the psychological difficulty of Russell’s season, suggesting the Briton arrived in 2026 believing it was finally his moment, only to be overshadowed by a younger team-mate from the opening rounds. “I think that at the beginning of the season it’s maybe difficult to cope with a situation where you’re feeling like this is my year to come, and then you have this wunderkind on the other side that starts to really chip away,” he said.

Despite that, Wolff insisted Russell’s underlying talent remains intact. “I believe that in a new season, George, if we provide him a quick car, he has absolutely what it takes to win a championship. It’s a bit too easy to say, let’s forget about all these years where he won in F2 and F3, his rookie years and the European championships back-to-back in karting — that’s still all there.”

Russell’s 2026 campaign has been defined by handling struggles with Mercedes’ new-generation car and a run of reliability misfortune that ended any realistic title challenge before the summer break. He now faces the additional pressure of Hamilton closing in from third in the standings, putting even a runner-up finish in the constructors’ and drivers’ championships at risk.