Toto Wolff branded “horrible to negotiate with” as George Russell waits for new F1 deal

2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg has branded Mercedes boss Toto Wolff as “horrible to negotiate with” amid George Russell’s wait for a new deal.

Russell’s Mercedes future is still unclear, as he’s out of contract at the end of 2025.

However, Russell will likely stay at Mercedes, with Helmut Marko declaring after the Belgian Grand Prix that Max Verstappen will be a Red Bull driver in 2026.

The Daily Mail reported that Russell is set to sign a new deal worth £30m per year, keeping him at the team until the end of 2027.

Rosberg, who raced for Mercedes between 2010 and 2016, explained why Wolff is a tough person to negotiate with.

“Did you hear George Russell? He was like, ‘Oh, no, definitely I won’t have a contract signed by Hungary.

“Like, so definitive that he knows nothing’s gonna happen until Hungary, so there must be something cooking there, right?,” Rosberg said during Sky Sports’ coverage at the Belgian GP.

“Sure, but it’s like we’re in August then. There’s only a couple of months left after that to the end of the season. And he’s like, ‘oh no, for sure I’m not gonna have a contract yet’ - that’s a bit extreme, no?

“Toto’s horrible to negotiate with, because his tactic is to disappear. So when you try... like George now, he’s trying to get hold of him, Toto will disappear...

“George will be trying to write Toto to get him [to get] a move on, or whatever, and Toto disappears. By the way, this is not a fact; this is just me making it up.

“But I remember from my time that was his style, just like disappearing, not answering, being hard to reach... and it’s horrible, because you’re like, ‘come on!’”

Russell will “sleep well” over the break

With just one round ahead of the summer break, Mercedes will likely announce any news after the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Over the years, August has been the prime time to announce any driver switches.

Carlos Sainz’s move to Williams was announced in early August 2024.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Wolff said he was “optimistic” that Russell will be able to “sleep well over the summer break”.

“As a driver, he’s so mature and stable that I don’t think that makes any difference on performance,” Wolff added.

“On the contrary, I would wish to have him in a safe place a little bit earlier. We haven’t managed to do that but I’m optimistic that he’s going to sleep well over the summer break.”