George Russell claim made as 'painful' Toto Wolff contract tactics emerge – 'He blanked me'

Daily Mirror

5 days ago

George Russell is expected to put pen to paper on a new Mercedes deal shortly, despite Toto Wolff's "avoiding blue ticks" strategy when it comes to contract negotiations
Nico Rosberg believes George Russell will shortly sign a new Mercedes contract despite Toto Wolff 's "painful" approach to negotiating. Russell's future with the Brackley team has been the subject of speculation over the past year or so, with his current deal, signed in the summer of 2023, due to run out when the 2025 F1 campaign ends.
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With only months remaining, the British driver finds himself without a new contract as things stand. The 27-year-old had previously hinted his deal was being held up because Mercedes were in discussions with Max Verstappen, with suggestions that Wolff was trying to lure the four-time world champion away from Red Bull.
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Yet, Russell has received a boost from Verstappen's decision to stick with Red Bull until the end of 2026, in light of Christian Horner's dismissal as team boss. Wolff suggested that a new deal for Russell could be finalised ahead of the summer break, once this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix wraps up.
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Reports have now emerged stating that Russell is on the verge of securing a multi-year deal with the Silver Arrows, possibly until the end of the 2027 season, which would see him partner teenager Kimi Antonelli for the foreseeable future.
That's a view that Sky Sports F1 pundit Rosberg - who raced for Mercedes from 2010 to 2016 - shares. Rosberg also reflected on his own unpleasant experiences with Wolff, giving an insight into the Austrian's tough negotiation tactics while he was trying to secure a new contract at Mercedes.
The 2016 F1 world champion told Sky Sports' F1 Show: 'It's definitely not a comfortable situation for George because he would like to have it done and dusted. In my experience, dealing with Toto for contract negotiations is a little bit painful because he just disappears off planet Earth when you're trying to get hold of him.
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'That's his strategy to strengthen his negotiating position - just to disappear. But now that Max's [situation] is done, maybe things will move pretty quickly actually.'
The German had said earlier: 'If you're George now trying to get hold of him, Toto's already gone. He even knows how to avoid the blue ticks.
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'As soon as your message pops up on his screen, he'll only read the first few words and won't even open it properly. I remember that well from my time – it was always his style: vanish, don't reply, be unreachable. And that's horrible, because it gives you no chance.'
While Wolff has publicly said he is committed to both Russell and his current team-mate Antonelli for the 2026 season, a prospective multi-year deal for the Brit keeps alive the possibility of him being paired with Verstappen at a later date. That's despite many viewing the pairing as unrealistic due to their high-profile spats on and off the track.
But, for now, Mercedes are finally content with Russell as their No. 1 driver, thanks to him delivering his most consistent and complete F1 campaign to date this year. He won the Canadian Grand Prix and has outscored Antonelli 157 points to 63, while achieving four more podium finishes.
When asked by Sky Sports F1 if the contract delay was fuelling Russell's impressive form, Wolff replied: "As a driver, he's so mature and stable that I don't think that makes any difference on performance.
'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."