Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has dismissed Helmut Marko’s suggestion that George Russell has little chance of becoming Formula One world champion in the future after being overtaken by team-mate Kimi Antonelli this season.
Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix on Sunday to move closer to becoming the sport’s youngest ever champion, with the 20-year-old needing only a ninth-place finish this weekend at the Mexico City Grand Prix to seal the title with four rounds remaining.
Perhaps the most shocking element of the Italian’s historic campaign has been the way he has overtaken Russell, who had started the season as clear title favorite after dominating Antonelli during the latter’s rookie season last year.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s race in Austin, former Red Bull sporting adviser Marko said Sky Germany: “Mentally, of course it’s a massive setback and it’s a blow. Russell is no longer the number one driver.”
“Antonelli has very clearly taken this place from him. But Russell is one of the best drivers. I doubt if he will get another shot at the world title or be given number one status somewhere.”
Asked after Sunday’s race if he had a response to Marco’s comments about Russell’s title origins, Wolff said: “I start with Helmut. I mean, he’s my Austrian… not so much a friend, but I respect his opinion.
“But I think he’s wrong about George. George has all the skills. I don’t think the car suits him.
“I think at the beginning of the season, it’s probably hard to go into a situation where you feel like this is my year coming up, and then you have this wunderkind on the other side that really starts to take off.
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George Russell admits his Mercedes’ pace was ‘rubbish’, costing him eighth in the US GP.
“And I believe that in a new season, George, if we offer him a fast car, it’s absolutely possible, (he) has absolutely what it takes to win a championship.
“So I think it’s a bit too easy to say, let’s forget all these years where he won in F2 and F3 in his early years and back-to-back European karting championships. That’s still all.”
“George is not three-tenths slower than Kimi”
Russell had performed very consistently since joining Mercedes for the 2022 season, exceeding expectations by impressing with Lewis Hamilton as his team-mate for his first three years with the Silver Arrows.
His strong form continued in 2025 as Russell maximized an underperforming car to finish fourth in the drivers’ championship, more than doubling seventh-placed Antonelli’s points total.
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Kimi Antonelli got off to a flying start in the United States Grand Prix after George Russell was penalized five seconds.
It therefore came as a huge surprise when, after Russell won the season opener in Australia, Antonelli took the first five wins of his career in a row to build a championship lead that he never looked like relinquishing.
Wolff believes the major rule change ahead of the 2026 season is the main reason for Russell’s struggles, but says it is up to the team to help the 28-year-old rediscover his best form.
“George, for all of us on the team, is a champion and has won in every category,” Wolff said. “And I think he deserves to be among the best (drivers). We saw that last year.
“And this year, we’ve seen that variability in results. When we put the car in the way that suits him, he’s absolutely quick. But when it comes out of that operational window, he fights and fights more than maybe Kimi.
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George Russell crashes right away taking the lead in the Singapore Grand Prix.
“And it’s up to us. We just have to understand with him how there can be such a difference in driving, in performance, because George is not half a second slower, three tenths slower than Kimi. That is absolutely not the case.
“So what doesn’t he like? What do we have to do in terms of modifying the car, putting it in a different way for him to go fast? Because it’s all there, the intelligence, the ability, the determination.”
Future Formula 1 heads south for the second leg of America’s triple header with the Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime