Toto Wolff hails F1’s move to ‘dirty’ low-performance cars after Mercedes shutdown

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted he was relieved after his drivers’ strong Saturday as he celebrated the end of the season result. This comes on the heels of George Russell’s tenure at the Australian Grand Prix.

After Saturday’s dominant session in Melbourne in which Russell put his Mercedes at the front of the grid ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli, Wolff spoke openly with his team-mate. Sky Sports F1 about the team’s strong start to the weekend and the huge effort required to get both cars out on track today.

Thinking about the new rules and the departure from the challenging aerodynamics effect, Wolf did not hide his satisfaction. “I’m so glad those dirty cars are gone and we’re finally doing what we can,” Wolff admitted.

Despite losing out naturally under the new set of rules for 2026, Russell looked comfortable, lining up his car between the white lines of the Albert Park circuit. Wolff attributed this to both the machinery and the growing talent of the British driver.

“George, as a person, has made another step in height and confidence in driving a car. And I think that’s the way he likes it,” explains Wolff. “I mean, those cars have lost power, but if you look at the aerodynamic and mechanical side, the car looks like it’s on steel, at least today.

“And if the driver trusts the car, this is what the combination of the driver and the car and the power unit can do. Today, everything works together to put it on the pole.”

While the speed of the W17 caught the attention of the paddock, the Austrian was quick to dismiss any suggestions of deliberate sand-stuffing during testing and practice.

“You can’t really sandbag, or at least we can’t, we won’t do that because you won’t know where the car is,” he added. “So we’re surprised by the gap, but I’ll take it.”

George Russell, Mercedes

The qualifying result was almost ruined earlier in the day following a major crash by Mercedes youngster Antonelli, who is now entering his second season in the championship. The Italian’s incident forced the Brackley side into a tense but impressive display.

“That car looked like a Lego Formula 1 car thrown down like it happened two hours ago, and I told them five minutes before the start of the session we’re not going to make it,” Wolff revealed, praising his mechanic. A red flag caused by Max Verstappen finally bought the garage the extra time they needed.

“It’s a miracle that not only the car was put together, but also that fence he made. I mean, the car wasn’t there, we couldn’t really measure it.”

Despite Antonelli’s blinding speed, Wolff has continued to manage expectations for the teams’ championship battle this season.

“I’m thinking pure speed, he’s there,” Wolf said in Italian. “He is in his second year in Formula 1, George is nine or ten years old. Everywhere he needs experience, I think it would be the first days for Kimi to compare himself to George.”

With the start secured, Mercedes will now look to turn their dominance on Saturday into their first win in the season-opening Grand Prix.

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