Wolff: George Russell has what it takes to win title — SkimNews
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- Toto Wolff rejected Helmut Marko's suggestion that George Russell has little chance of becoming world champion, saying the British driver "has all the ability" and that "the car doesn't suit him".
- Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix on Sunday and needs to finish only ninth in the Mexico City Grand Prix to become F1's youngest ever champion, with four rounds to spare.
- Helmut Marko told Sky Germany that Russell "is no longer the number one driver" and doubted he would ever get another chance at the world title or number one status anywhere.
- Mercedes must find a setup that suits Russell, with Wolff insisting "George is not three tenths slower than Kimi" and that the performance gap is "on us" to fix.
- George Russell began 2026 as the clear title favourite after winning the season opener in Australia, only for Antonelli to reel off the first five wins of his career in succession; Russell had ended 2025 fourth in the championship with an underperforming car, more than doubling Antonelli's points.
- George Russell won F2 and F3 in his rookie years and the European karting championships back-to-back, with Wolff arguing that pedigree is "still all there" and was too easily dismissed by Marko.
Why it matters: The split is about attribution: Marko says Russell's title window has closed, while Wolff points to the 2026 regulation change and car fit rather than a three-tenths pace gap. That puts the burden on Mercedes' setup work, with Antonelli needing just ninth in Mexico City to seal the youngest-ever champion title four rounds early.
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