23/05/2025 18:30
Toto Wolff is adamant that George Russell will not have to wait
months to sign a new Mercedes contract as ongoing rumours over a
move for Max Verstappen continue to linger. Mercedes was heavily
linked with Red Bull's four-time F1 champion Verstappen last year
after Lewis Hamilton stunned the sport by announcing on February 1
that the upcoming season at that stage would be his last with the
team ahead of a shock switch to rivals Ferrari. Wolff occasionally
fanned the flames last season regarding the links to Verstappen
before ultimately deciding to sign protégé Kimi Antonelli, albeit
the teenager was not confirmed until the Italian Grand Prix in
early September. Russell is out of contract at the end of this
year, and whilst neither Wolff nor Russell has sounded any alarm
bells over a potential extension, the latest round of Verstappen
speculation has only served to muddy the waters. Wolff has made
clear that a new deal for Russell, who is currently in his fourth
season with Mercedes, will be forthcoming sooner rather than later,
and he will not have to wait months until September. "No,
definitely not that long," said Wolff, when asked about Russell's
situation by RacingNews365 . "George and I are totally clear on how
this is going to go. There is 100 per cent alignment. There is no
such thing as dragging this on because that's not what we do."
Wolff was appearing alongside Williams team principal James Vowles
and Aston Martin team boss Andy Cowell in the official FIA press
conference. It was a reunion of Mercedes' 'dream team' from its
glory years from 2014 onwards, with Vowles the chief strategist and
Cowell the engine guru whose development of the 1.6-litre
turbo-hybrid systems helped the team dominate for eight years from
2014. Sitting alongside the duo, Wolff described it as a "pinch me
moment". He added: ""We had such good times, so many wins, some
tough moments. "You absolutely deserve to be leaders of your
organisations, and a proud moment for Mercedes."
