George Russell reveals Toto Wolff talks to bring F1 back to the Nurburgring

Russell, Verstappen, Wolff, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

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George Russell reveals Toto Wolff talks to bring F1 back to the Nurburgring

First Verstappen, next Russell?

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 16 May 2026 15:27

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Since Max Verstappen has opened the floodgates for participation at the Nurburgring, it seems several of his colleagues on the F1 grid are also keen to attempt the 'Green Hell' - including Mercedes star George Russell.

This weekend (Thursday, May 14 to Sunday, May 17) marks Verstappen's debut in the Nurburgring 24 Hours, an endurance race that has been on the four-time champion's motorsport bucket list for a long time.

While Verstappen's participation has opened up a whole new discipline of motorsport to some F1 fans, the Nurburgring Nordschleife has long been revered as the Holy Grail for any petrolhead, regardless of whether they are a professional racer or a tourist driver.

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Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli recently expressed interest in earning the DMSB Nordschleife permit required to race at the Nurburgring and now, his F1 team-mate Russell has also revealed his interested in competing at the 'Green Hell'.

Russell doesn't want to stop at racing GT machinery, however, and revealed he had spoken to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff about driving an F1 car at the Nurburgring.

Will we see Russell drive F1 machinery around the Nurburgring?

The last time F1 raced at the Nurburgring was at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, although that event was ran on the modern Grand Prix track rather than the Nordschleife layout.

F1 has not competed on the Nordschleife part of the track since the 1976 German Grand Prix, the year of Niki Lauda's near fatal incident and the turning point at which it was decided the old Nurburgring track was too dangerous for modern F1 cars.

At the Chinese GP earlier this year, Verstappen revealed that his request to drive an F1 car during a demonstration event at the Nurburgring was rejected, and Russell has since unveiled similar talks with his Mercedes team.

Speaking to the media, Russell explained: "I did watch Max's [NLS2] race at the Nordschleife, and I did also watch the wet race in Imola, both of which were very cool.

"The Nordschleife is something that one day I'd love to do - without doubt. I have driven it before. I've driven hundreds of laps on the sim around the Nordschleife, so I don't know when that day will be."

"I did once try having a conversation with Toto about putting the F1 car around there and breaking the all-time lap record."

Russell didn't say anything further on how those talks concluded with Wolff, but reaffirmed his own commitment to winning an F1 drivers' title before becoming entangled with any future side quests.

"Right now, I'm focused on trying to win an F1 world championship," he said.

"Hopefully, when I've got four [titles] under my belt, I'll go and race at the Nordschleife during my F1 season!"

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