Toto Wolff calms George Russell and Kimi Antonelli contract chatter

Toto Wolff has moved to play down ongoing and renewed speculation about Mercedes’ 2026 lineup, with both George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli still unsigned.

“It’s all coming,” Wolff smiled to Sky Deutschland after Baku, where Russell finished second behind Max Verstappen despite being ill all weekend. “It has to be before the tests, otherwise we’ll have to put someone else in the car,” the Austrian smiled.

The Mercedes boss was quick to praise Russell’s gritty podium, but also defended 19-year-old Antonelli after P4. “Kimi consolidated well. He’s not happy not to be on the podium, but it was important points for the team.”

At Monza, Wolff had publicly branded Antonelli’s performance “disappointing,” but welcomed the rebound. “I tried to be honest," said Wolff. "That’s why this rebound here is satisfactory. It’s part of the fact that he’s only 19. You have to take him aside and tell him what you expect from him.”

Wolff, meanwhile, confirmed Mercedes’ 2025 car will not receive more upgrades. “We’re continuing to work on next year’s car,” he said. “I wouldn’t say we’re in a bad situation. A racing team can always find new ways to extract performance, even without updates.”

The season itself, Wolff admitted, has been unpredictable. “Crazy, right? If George had started a little further up, we would have been fighting for the win. Then there was no performance from McLaren and Ferrari. It’s strange how things go up and down throughout the year.”

On Verstappen’s suddenly renewed title bid, the Mercedes chief added: “Longshot, but yes, why not?”

Meanwhile, Russell’s contract talks are said to be complicated not just by money but by workload. The Briton wants fewer sponsor and media days, especially if he accepts a one-year deal.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc explained why such clauses matter. “It’s a discussion in the contract, but negotiation is common sense,” he told RTBF.

“We don’t do it because we don’t want to, but because it can affect performance. Very often we’re tired when we get back in the car. The most important thing is that the driver is in the best possible shape when he goes on track.”