Wolff on team challenges after FP1 & FP2 during 2025 F1 Austrian GP

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff remained guarded despite George Russell showing strong early pace during FP1 of the 2025 F1 Austrian GP. While Russell’s early pace impressed, Wolff warned against overconfidence.

“Never confident. You know, this track hasn’t treated us very well in the past. Rough asphalt is not where our car has the sweet spot. And yeah, we’ve been fastest today with George, but it’s also low on temperatures with the cloud cover.”

Cooler conditions on Friday favoured Mercedes, but Wolff emphasised the need to stay grounded, especially with hotter weather forecast for the weekend.

“So, we need to really keep feet on the ground, see what happens if it’s getting hotter, and that’s the forecast for tomorrow and after tomorrow, and see whether we can maintain those levels of performance.”

He further dismissed any suggestions of dominance at the Red Bull Ring saying, “But definitely, I wouldn’t extrapolate from FP1 that we’re going to drive home in the sunset and collect some trophies.”

Podium boosts Antonelli’s confidence ahead of 2025 F1 Austrian GP

Wolff also reflected on the development of rookie Kimi Antonelli, following the Italian’s recent podium finish at the 2025 F1 Canadian GP. While pleased with Antonelli’s development in 2025, Wolff admitted that the team had misstepped when introducing Antonelli to F1, noting the drivers’ disastrous FP1 debut in Monza in 2024.

“Most important is that the development trajectory continues to be positive. I think when we look at last year, it wasn’t our most intelligent call to put him in the car in Monza, give him all the pressure, and then obviously with the incident, that’s something that’s in the back of your mind.”

But with this recent result, Antonelli finally proved to himself and the team that he can compete at the front. For Wolff, that steady progress is what you expect from someone who can be “a champion one day.”

“And I think with the podium now, you can shake that off and say, “I’ve proven that I can be fast.” And also, throughout the year, we gave him lots of space to explore, to develop, to under-hit, or also push hard when he felt confident in the car.”

Wolff continued, “And in that respect, I think that is what you can expect from a driver that can be a champion one day.”

Wolff praised Russell and dismissed contract rumours as routine

Despite growing speculation around George Russell’s future, Wolff insisted there is no added pressure. He praised Russell’s loyalty and consistency, noting that the driver had always met Mercedes’ expectations.

“Nothing. He has been part of our program since ten years or so. He’s always performed to the expectations that we have set, and he’s continuing to do so. We haven’t given him a car to win a world championship in the last three years, so that’s completely on us. And the times the car has been good, he has been winning races.”

Wolff downplayed the media chatter, calling it a routine part of the business. He said, “And you can see today, he’s always there. You know that when he’s getting in the car, he’s going to extract what is in the car. Having said that, for whatever reason, in early summer, those kinds of contract discussions start to end up being accelerated in the media or accelerated because of a lack of information.”

“What I have been doing the last 30 years in a normal business, contract discussions are not being held as town halls. So, everything is normal. Everything goes to plan.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Wolff made it clear that Russell remains a key part of Mercedes’ plans. He said, “Well, he needs to be top of the list because he’s a race winner with us. He’s a Mercedes junior. He’s been with the team for a long time.”

Wolff urges caution s hype builds around Antonelli

Following Antonelli’s podium in Canada, Wolff expressed concern over the intense media and fan attention, particularly in Italy. While he welcomed the enthusiasm, he warned that excessive hype could be detrimental.

“That is a really important question because Italy has been starved of drivers that are in race or championship-winning cars. So, the enthusiasm is huge. “Top media outlets writing headlines that Kimi is a legend aren’t helpful, because in a country so passionate, lifting an 18-year-old to the status of legend after a podium is dangerous. It’s dangerous in that respect that we need to increasingly shield him from everybody wanting something from him.”

He added, “I believe that a young driver of 18, when there is too much pressure from every side, it can harm his development.”

Mercedes aiming to protect Antonelli as popularity grows

He highlighted the added pressure from fans, media, and former backers who now expect returns. Even the fanfare—requests for selfies, messages of support—can become overwhelming.

“It starts in a trivial environment with lots of fans wanting selfies, and it’s great – better this than the other way around. There have been many people that were involved in his racing career which expect something back.”

“There’s enough pressure being in the car, having George Russell as your teammate, driving a Mercedes car that can win races. If everything around it starts to continue to put pressure on him, I think it’s something we really need to protect him from. And that’s what we are trying.”