Damon Hill fears Toto Wolff hurt George Russell by ‘playing with him’ over Mercedes contract

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Damon Hill and Juan Pablo Montoya agree that George Russell’s protracted contract talks with Mercedes in 2025 may be contributing to his current slump.

Mercedes only confirmed in October, around 10 weeks before Russell’s deal was due to expire, that he would be racing for them in 2026. The British driver was responsible for both of their wins last year and nine of their 12 podium finishes.

After finishing fourth in Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, some 43 seconds behind teammate Kimi Antonelli, Russell has slipped 20 points off the championship lead. He has lost ground at three consecutive races, with his pre-season title favourite status now under serious threat.

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Damon Hill says last year’s George Russell has ‘gone missing’

Speaking on the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast, Hill suggested that Wolff’s public flirtations with Max Verstappen last season damaged Russell’s confidence. The potential availability of the four-time world champion was the main reason for the contract delay.

There is a feeling that Russell is more vulnerable than Antonelli if Wolff does manage to sign Verstappen, who has been a target for over 10 years.

Russell is approaching 100 starts for Mercedes and will soon overtake Valtteri Bottas (101) for third on the all-time list, but his relationship with the team may have been damaged.

Did Mercedes damage their relationship with George Russell by only giving him a one-year deal?

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“The George from last year has gone missing a little bit,” said Hill. “He had a little bit of bad luck and it put him on the back foot.

“This whole business with the contract, it dragged on, and Toto was playing with him a little bit. You want to go, ‘Come on, excuse me!'”

Juan Pablo Montoya says Kimi Antonelli should be ‘out for blood’ in Canada

Montoya says Mercedes indicated that they weren’t ‘sure’ about Russell by handing him a short-term deal.

As for the title race, he has advised Russell to seek external advice on playing ‘mind games’ with 19-year-old teammate Antonelli.

Russell put his disappointing Miami performance down to his weakness on low-grip circuits. He regards Miami as one of his ‘bogey tracks’.

• READ MORE: Jolyon Palmer ‘amazed’ by George Russell’s ‘kind’ racing with Oscar Piastri at Miami Grand Prix

But if Antonelli beats him in Canada, a circuit where he won last year and has scored two pole positions, it would be ‘gold’ in the championship battle.

Montoya said: “If I’m Kimi, I’m going out for blood. For me, when I had Ralf [Schumacher, his partner at Williams] as a teammate, I knew how much going well in Germany went to him. If I could beat him in Germany, even if it was by one thousandth of a second, it was gold.”

“Maybe, by just getting a one-year deal, his mindset is in the wrong place. When they give you a one-year deal, they’re telling you, ‘We’re going to extend you, but we’re not sure about you.’

“He does need somebody from outside the team to guide him in playing the mind games.”