Toto Wolff teases new role for George Russell

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has hinted that his star driver George Russell might have a bigger role to play from next year onwards.

Russell has recently signed a new contract with Mercedes that will keep him at the team for the next couple of years, while his teenage team-mate Kimi Antonelli has also signed a new contract.

The 27-year-old took on more of a team leadership role in 2025, following the departure of his former team-mate and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Now, Wolff has suggested that Russell could play a bigger role in the wider Mercedes-AMG network, hinting that he could help grow the brand in an ambassador role.

Russell is hoping to challenge for the drivers' championship in 2026, when new regulations come sweeping into the sport.

"George’s background is unusual in its breadth: he’s a racer, a loyal sporting ambassador for Mercedes-AMG, and an exceptional entrepreneur," Wolff told Forbes in an interview.

"He understands both the demands of racing and the realities of building and scaling technology businesses."

"Finding someone who understands racing and the tech world is unique and we hope that he’s going to leverage our network in the United States," Wolff added.

Can Mercedes win championship in 2026?

Mercedes have been rumoured to be the team best placed to master the wholesale regulation changes coming to F1 next season, and that has led to suggestions that Russell and Antonelli could be in a championship fight.

Mercedes have previous of mastering regulations resets, when the last huge new set of rule changes in 2014 saw them become the dominant team in F1, winning eight consecutive constructors' titles between 2014-2021.

The team are a power unit supplier for McLaren, Aston Martin and Alpine, however, and so mastering these new rules might well help those other teams too.

But if Mercedes can master both the engine regulations and the new chassis design rules, then that is when they will really be in a strong position over their rivals.

2026 cars will be smaller, nimbler, narrower and lighter than they were in the ground effect era, and F1 front wings will be 10cm narrower and will feature a two element active flap. The rear wing will then have a three element flap and the lower beam wing has been removed.

All of this is key, to ensure that a following car will encounter less turbulence or 'dirty air', a major impediment to overtaking last year.

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