Wolff slams Horner for ‘stirring sh*t up’ with Russell speculation

Toto Wolff has reacted to his Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner citing George Russell as a potential option for the Milton Keynes-based outfit in 2026, insisting the Briton’s deliberate mention of the Mercedes driver is just a typical attempt to “stir sh*t up”.

Speculation is rife around Red Bull’s future driver plans, not only for next season but also beyond. The jury is still out as to whether Sergio Perez will retain his seat with the bulls in 2025, while reserve driver Liam Lawson is expected to replace Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull’s sister outfit, Visa Cash App RB, perhaps as early as next month’s US Grand Prix at Austin.

While Red Bull has a pipeline of promising young drivers, including, in addition to Lawson, F2 chargers Isack Hadjar and Ayumu Iwasa, they may need to look outside their development programme find a suitable candidate for the long-term.

There’s also the question – unaddressed by Horner – of whether Max Verstappen will see out the full duration of his contract with Red Bull, which runs until the end of 2028.

Mercedes held discussions with the Dutchman’s management over the summer and could revive talks for 2026.

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• Horner: ‘Foolish’ not to consider Russell for 2026 Red Bull seat

Against this backdrop of speculation, Horner suggested last weekend in Singapore that Red Bull could also look outside its talent pool to complete its line-ups, mentioning Russell as a potential target.

“Look, we’re not afraid to go out of the pool,” Horner said. “George Russell is out of contract at the end of next year. It would be foolish not to take that into consideration.”

The Red Bull chief’s comments weren’t lost on Wolff who characterized them as nothing more than an attempt to create headlines and disrupt the competition.

"I think he is always stirring sh*t up, it is part of the game," Wolff reposted. "George is a Mercedes driver and has been forever and hopefully will be forever. We have a long contract with him."

Russell signed a two-year extension with Mercedes a year ago, ensuring his stay with the Silver Arrows squad until the end of the 2025 season.

But Wolff has on multiple occasions made it clear that Mercedes has no intention of letting Russell go, emphasizing the long-term vision the team has for both the Briton and his 2025 teammate, young prodigy, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

"These two are the future," Wolff reiterated in Singapore. "They have been and will be Mercedes drivers, and therefore we have contracts with George and Kimi that go much longer, that are very complicated in terms of options, etc.

"Mercedes has always been a pressure cooker, but this is where we stand as a team today, we want to go with these two."

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