Toto Wolff just made a ‘crazy’ assessment about George Russell as Mercedes build F1 momentum

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George Russell achieved his worst finish since early July at the United States Grand Prix, but his performance across the weekend was solid.

During Saturday’s sprint race, he challenged Max Verstappen early on, before his Mercedes struggled to keep up with the might of the Red Bull ahead. His race pace wasn’t that bad, and although he could only finish sixth on Sunday, he showed promise in clean air.

Russell has been one of the top drivers this season, and his position in the drivers’ championship proves it. He was recently awarded a new contract, which pays him handsomely heading into the 2026 F1 regulations, but beyond that, his future is uncertain.

There is a fear that Russell could lose his Mercedes seat, even if he finds a way to win his first title next year. At the same time, Mercedes could drop Antonelli for Max Verstappen, instead of Russell, creating a superteam in the process. Unfortunately, the two don’t get on too well, though.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen’s hypocrisy highlighted by Martin Brundle after he complained about George Russell move

Toto Wolff has ‘crazy’ belief that George Russell could have won the United States Grand Prix

Russell could be McLaren’s main threat in 2026, and he will be as hungry as anyone on the grid, given how long he has had to wait for such an opportunity. The Silver Arrows are always good at producing a fast engine at the start of regulations, and from there, they will just need a solid chassis to go with it.

In the event of signing Verstappen, Russell had a good idea that Mercedes would drop him to make way for a marquee signing. Despite being loyal to their programme, having waited years for an opportunity to progress from Williams, his team didn’t seem convinced by him over Antonelli or Verstappen.

In 2025, he has been their leader, he has beaten Lewis Hamilton multiple times across a Formula 1 campaign, and now he has the experience to elevate his game. After the United States Grand Prix, his boss, Toto Wolff, privately shared how he thinks he could have won the race.

Auto Motor und Sport’s Michael Schmidt shared a brief interaction with the Austrian team principal as he left Austin last weekend.

“I mean, we ran into Toto Wolff when he left the racetrack, and he made an almost crazy statement to us,” he said.

“A bit surprised, saying, yes, if George Russell takes the lead at the start, he will win the race. I looked at it again closely, and he’s not wrong.”

READ MORE: George Russell wants to show ‘the entire paddock’ one thing after accepting Mercedes contract clause

Why has George Russell been so much faster than Kimi Antonelli in 2026?

Having a rookie teammate was always going to add more to Russell’s workload in 2025, as his team attempts to bring Antonelli up to speed as quickly as possible.

In qualifying trim, Russell leads Antonelli 17-2, which is quite the beating. On a Sunday, he gives him even more of a drubbing, leading 19-0.

To have not been beaten once by one of the most hyped prospects in recent history is incredibly impressive.

Damon Hill thinks one Mercedes driver could be champion at the end of 2026, but the numbers already heavily suggest which one of them is most likely to reign supreme.