Just two races into the 2025 Formula 1 season, and George Russell is sitting pretty in third in the World Drivers’ Championship. 

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has had nothing but praise for his driver — even going so far as to suggest that Russell may very well be one of the top three best drivers in the F1 paddock today.

Toto Wolff: George Russell “is a warrior”

While much of the early discussion this season has centered around some obvious talking points: Is McLaren the team to beat? How will Lewis Hamilton perform in his first season with Ferrari? What’s going on with Red Bull Racing?

In many ways, then, the Mercedes team has become an afterthought. While there’s plenty of interest in how George Russell will adapt to his role as team leader, as well as how rookie Kimi Antonelli will fare, the conversation has been decidedly more positive than the conversation around other teams.

Russell is sitting third in the championship standings with 35 points, while Antonelli’s 22 points sees him fifth.

That’s because Mercedes has been quiet — but consistent. The cars haven’t displayed any serious issues. The strategy has been strong. The drivers have maximized their performance on two very different tracks.

Russell has taken two third places in the Grands Prix, with a fourth in China’s sprint race adding to his points total. And it’s safe to say team boss Toto Wolff is impressed.

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Speaking to media after the Chinese Grand Prix, Wolff didn’t mince words.

“George is a warrior in the car and outside of the car,” he stated firmly.

And that was only the beginning of the praise he shared for his driver.

“I never give 10 out of 10 because I think there is always better,” Wolff said. “We haven’t seen the perfect race.

“But considering the circumstances that George had today, it is a 10 out of 10 because he extracted the maximum of this car, the tires, the strategy, and it was a brilliant drive.”

A perfect race is a high bar for any driver to achieve when racing for a team that scored eight consecutive World Constructor Championships, but Wolff didn’t hesitate to voice his appreciation.

Wolff went on to note that much of the pre-season conversation about Mercedes has centered around Lewis Hamilton leaving to Ferrari, as well as teenage Kimi Antonelli’s hiring.

But, he noted, “little was said of George.”

“I always said that that’s not right, because he’s one of the top drivers out there. If you want me to name three that I consider to be the top, he’s absolutely among those three, if not top two. And maybe on his way to top one.”

With that in mind, Wolff was asked about Russell’s future with the team, and whether or not he expects the Briton to look for a seat elsewhere in the future — or if Mercedes may be in the market for new talent.

“George is a Mercedes driver, so we love having in the team,” Wolff said.

“He’s a junior driver and a Mercedes-grown talent. That’s something to be proud of, and this is where my consideration goes.”

But if Wolff truly believes he has one of the three best drivers in F1 racing for his team, he’d be foolish to let that driver go.

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