Toto Wolff: George Russell didn’t get ‘the eyeballs’ next to Lewis Hamilton

Toto Wolff has conceded that George Russell’s three-year stint alongside Lewis Hamilton made him “underrated” as a driver.

Ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Mercedes announced Russell’s new F1 contract for next year.

It’s understood that Russell has signed a multi-year deal, keeping him with the team until at least 2027.

Russell had a lengthy wait for his new Mercedes deal.

While the British driver has delivered incredible performances on a consistent basis this year, he wanted assurances about his future with the team.

Mercedes explored the possibility of signing Max Verstappen from Red Bull, putting Russell’s future in jeopardy.

Mercedes’ interest in Verstappen is unlikely to subside, particularly if they produce a championship-contending car while Red Bull struggle as they debut their own power unit in 2026.

Russell became the first teammate to out-qualify and out-race Hamilton across an entire season in 2024, dismantling the four-time world champion.

In an interview with Motorsport.com, Wolff pointed out that being Hamilton’s teammate meant the “percentage of eyeballs” weren’t on Russell.

“First of all, I think there was so much hype around Lewis [Hamilton] leaving and an 18-year-old coming, and the risk that we were taking, but as a matter of fact, there was not so much risk because we had George,” Wolff explained.

“And in a way, he was always underrated in all of those years, maybe because of his more introverted personality. And then obviously if your teammate is Lewis Hamilton, you won’t get a lot of, how can I say, percentage of eyeballs.

“I mean if George would have bought into the fashion style of Lewis, maybe it would have given him more photos, but that’s not how he is. So it was always good to know that we had George as one of the best drivers, and then bringing Kimi on was a long-term plan. We knew that giving him one year in the current regulations would be tough. Because all of these drivers have driven those ground-effect cars.”

Media pressure “enormous” for Antonelli

Like Russell, Kimi Antonelli has been handed a new deal for next year.

Antonelli’s contract is thought to be a rolling one-year deal.

The Italian has endured a mixed rookie season, struggling for regular points finishes during the European leg of the campaign.

Wolff is confident that both the team and Antonelli have learned a lot ahead of next year.

“The tyres are very tricky to understand, many race tracks that he hasn’t been to, and then the enormous media pressure that comes up when you’re an Italian,” Wolff added.

“This country has been starved for a world champion since, God knows, 50, 60 years, and all of that has happened. All of that led to good results. I think the highlight was certainly the pole in the sprint in Miami and the podium in Montreal, but also, to some very difficult races.

“The media pressure was enormous in Europe, and I think we’ve learned the lesson. We’ve shielded him a little bit, and the last two races were really good, back on track. Next year’s going to be a completely different starting point for him, having seen it all, having been there, and I’m sure it’s going to be a very good one.”