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Wolff claims Russell ‘stronger driver’ than Hamilton
Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff has stated that George Russell showed stronger performance than Lewis Hamilton during their final season together at the team. Hamilton, who won six of his seven world championships with Mercedes, moved to Ferrari in 2025 but struggled at the Italian team, failing to reach the podium in any of his 14 races so far. Russell, who stepped up as the lead driver, has outperformed Hamilton, currently 63 points ahead of him in the standings with 10 races left.
Wolff praised Russell’s continuous development and improvement, both on and off the track, highlighting his ability to outperform the car’s performance. Despite the positive assessment, Russell’s contract status remains uncertain, with negotiations ongoing alongside teammate Kimi Antonelli’s deal. The team’s faith in Russell as their main driver has been solidified, with Wolff referring to him as their ideal number one driver.
