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Toto Wolff has warned Kimi Antonelli and George Russell that they must be ‘lions’ and not ‘puppies’ at Mercedes.
Due to the Mercedes’ dominant W17, Antonelli and Russell are currently locked in a battle to become the 2026 Formula 1 world champion.
Russell got off to a flying start by winning the Australian Grand Prix, but has since seen Antonelli win in China, Japan and Miami.
After Antonelli won the Miami Grand Prix, the young Italian now has a 20-point lead over Russell at the top of the world championship standings.
Later this month, the 2026 F1 campaign will resume with the Canadian Grand Prix, a race where Russell has to bounce back and beat Antonelli.
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Toto Wolff on what makes a Formula 1 world champion
Amid the ongoing title fight between Antonelli and Russell, Wolff has previously outlined the attributes needed to become an F1 world champion.
In her new book, ‘F1 Racing Drive’, Sky Sports reporter Rachel Brookes wrote: “I asked Toto Wolff if you have to be selfish to be a world champion.”
Wolff’s response was clear, stating that drivers cannot be puppies and have to be like lions in order to reach the top of the sport.
Brookes added: “He replied, you cannot expect a puppy outside of the car to be a lion in the car. Being selfish and ruthless go hand in hand.
“If I were designing a driver, talent, raw speed, an ability to grow, intelligence, social competence, along with ruthlessness and determination are the attributes.
“That’s what Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes you need to have to be a world champion, being fast is not enough.”
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Toto Wolff says George Russell is ready to ‘make life difficult’ for his F1 rivals
Despite trailing Antonelli by 20 points and a recent drop in form, Russell has been tipped by Wolff to be competitive in Canada.
The Mercedes team boss stated that Russell has experienced some ‘bad luck’ in recent races but is fully convinced that the 28-year-old will start making life difficult for his opponents again.
Wolff said to Italian news outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport: “What we love about this sport is that the clock never lies at the end of the race, and the clock says Kimi deservedly won the last three GPs.
“Russell hasn’t done as well, in some cases due to team issues, bad luck, and in Miami due to his own mistakes.
“That said, we know George’s value, and we know he’ll return, starting from Canada, very competitive and ready to make life difficult for his opponents.”
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