Toto Wolff reveals Mercedes driver line-up ‘hope’ after ‘shoot-out’ question raised

Toto Wolff responded to questions of a ‘shootout’ between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli next season by saying he hopes to continue with his line-up for “a long time” in the future.

Russell’s current contract with Mercedes is reported to end at the conclusion of next season, while Antonelli’s first deal with Mercedes covers the 2025 season.

Toto Wolff: ‘I would very much hope that we are going a long time with these two’

It was announced at the Italian Grand Prix in August that teenage Mercedes junior Antonelli will be replacing Lewis Hamilton when he departs for Ferrari next season, with Russell set to partner him in his fourth season as a works Mercedes driver.

With Mercedes team principal and CEO Wolff having spoken openly about the possibility of looking to bring Max Verstappen to the team earlier this year, he later confirmed he is no longer “flirting outside” the team to try and sign the reigning World Champion.

With that, he is looking to make the situation with Antonelli and Russell work to the best of his ability next season.

When asked if the F1 2025 season would form a potential ‘shootout’ between the two Mercedes drivers next year on Sky Sports F1 , Wolff responded: “I would very much hope that we are going a long time with these two.

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“They have been in the junior programme since a very early age, and I think it’s clear that you always pick the best ones but, as it stands, as they are showing, that is the line-up.”

For Russell, he said he and Mercedes are looking to continue together for the “indefinite future” , having risen through their junior ranks to a factory seat with them in 2022.

Having already won the qualifying head-to-head battle against Lewis Hamilton this year, when asked if Antonelli’s arrival will place a different kind of pressure on him in 2025, the Mercedes team principal remained diplomatic.

“I think he said it very well, there’s always pressure,” Wolff said.

“You know, you’re going against the gold. You win, then people are saying, ‘is the gold still the gold?’

“You’re going against the kid, the other way around, you know? So that’s okay, you’ve got to cope with that.”

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