George Russell credits Toto Wolff’s loyalty for Mercedes’ return to the F1 summit
Mercedes returned to the top of Formula 1 by securing its ninth constructors’ championship at the São Paulo Grand Prix, its first since the end of an eight-title winning streak in 2021. The achievement ended four difficult seasons, from 2022 through 2025, in which the team struggled to adapt to the sport’s ground-effect regulations and found itself unable to reproduce its earlier dominance.
George Russell believes Toto Wolff’s decision to preserve the team’s core personnel was central to the recovery. Russell said the same people who delivered Mercedes’ successful years remained in place through the downturn, with no wholesale hiring or firing despite the sharp fall in performance. He praised Wolff for maintaining loyalty and confidence in the workforce when results were poor.
Wolff agreed that stability helped, but said the broader culture was equally important. Mercedes aims to provide an environment where employees can develop, admit mistakes and speak openly, rather than operate as a “hire and fire” organisation. Although the team finished second in two of its difficult seasons, Wolff said the period felt far worse internally than the statistics suggested, and credited the group’s resilience for helping it recover.
Russell, who joined Mercedes in 2022, has experienced the entire period. His 2026 season has been particularly challenging as teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed the drivers’ championship. With three races remaining, Russell is third in the standings, 17 points behind Max Verstappen. Wolff said the constructors’ title belonged to Russell as much as anyone and that Mercedes owed him for his contribution.
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