Wolff defends Russell after Mexico GP media absence

Toto Wolff defended George Russell after the Mercedes driver missed post-race media duties following the Mexican Grand Prix, calling the absence understandable. Asked whether Russell or the team had made the decision, Wolff said he had seen Russell after the race and found him distraught. “Him staying would have actually surprised me,” he said.

Russell started second on the grid after qualifying 0.009 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton, but immediately lost ground at the start. He received a 10-second penalty for a first-lap collision with Isack Hadjar and finished sixth as Max Verstappen won. The result dropped him from second to fourth in the 2026 standings; 16 points separated second and fifth.

Wolff called Mexico a race Russell could have won. He said Mercedes had “let him down on the first straight”; the energy delivery, he said, had not met the team’s expectations.

After the race, Russell went to see and congratulate Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli’s third place secured the 2026 title, and Wolff praised Russell’s gesture as a show of sportsmanship.