Toto Wolff believes George Russell will “leave no stone unturned” in the Formula 1 championship battle, expressing confidence that the Mercedes driver will respond strongly at the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix after falling 20 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Russell endured a difficult weekend in Miami, where he struggled with grip on the low-traction surface while Antonelli claimed his third consecutive victory, cementing himself as the championship leader and the favorite among UK bookmakers. The 28-year-old British driver is now 20 points adrift of the 19-year-old Italian. However, Wolff is certain that Russell’s competitive spirit will not waver.
“George is a killer. What makes him so good is he never stops fighting or attacking,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1. “I’ve seen him throughout his career in junior formulas and karting and here. He’s going for this and won’t leave a stone unturned. I have no doubt the two of them will fight for points throughout the season.”
Russell attributed his Miami performance to the track’s smooth surface, which he has never felt comfortable on. He is now looking ahead to Montreal, where he won last year’s Canadian Grand Prix, as the ideal place to reverse the momentum.
“These things, he analyses them, looks at the data, comes to his conclusions, and the conclusion is that he’s never been quite at ease on this track, and he never liked the smooth surface,” Wolff added. “That’s it. Tick the box. He’s looking forward to Montreal. I don’t think there’s any relevance from the side to think about what would be at the end of the year.”
Despite Antonelli’s recent dominance, Russell insists he is not yet focused on the championship race with 18 rounds remaining. Having made his F1 debut in 2019 and outperformed Lewis Hamilton during their three seasons together at Mercedes, Russell feels he has the experience to handle the shifting dynamics of a title fight.
“Clearly he is in a very good place at the moment and momentum is with him,” Russell said. “But having got enough experience myself in championships I’ve won and how momentum swings throughout the year, and looking at the championship last year, to be honest, I’m not even considering it. It’s just that I want to get back on to the top step of the podium. The first three races, I had the performance to do that, but this weekend I absolutely did not have the performance to do that.”
The Canadian Grand Prix sprint weekend is scheduled for May 22–24. With Wolff’s public backing and a track that suits his driving style, Russell will aim to close the gap and reassert himself as a genuine title contender.
