George Russell had a difficult weekend at the Miami Formula 1 GP, but received strong support from Toto Wolff after the race. The Mercedes boss described the Brit as a ‘killer’ behind the wheel and expressed confidence in a recovery at the next stage in Canada.
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While Russell finished only fourth after overtaking Charles Leclerc, who was having problems in the final laps, Kimi Antonelli won for the third consecutive time this season. The young Italian opened a twenty-point lead in the championship after four races.
Russell started the championship as a favorite for the title, mainly due to his experience within Mercedes and the expectations created around the team’s car for the new 2026 regulations. The Brit won the Australian GP, but since then has not been able to outperform his teammate.
In Miami, the British driver admitted that the North American circuit was never among his favorites. According to Wolff, this characteristic ended up affecting the Brit’s performance during the weekend: “I’ve always said that George wouldn’t be a GP winner if he wasn’t a killer. He analyzes these situations, looks at the data and draws his conclusions. And the conclusion is that he never really felt comfortable on this track,” Wolff said.
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The Austrian executive also pointed out that Russell does not like the smooth asphalt of the Miami layout and believes the team will leave the problem behind quickly: “He never liked this very smooth asphalt, and that’s it. Tomorrow this will already be resolved. He is looking forward to Montreal, there are still eighteen races and many points at stake,” he added.
Wolff also downplayed any psychological impact on the championship fight: “I don’t think there is any relevance on his side in thinking about what might happen at the end of the year,” the Mercedes boss concluded.
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