Toto Wolff makes bold proclamation about George Russell after his second successive podium for Mercedes in the F1 Chinese GP

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has made a bold statement about George Russell, claiming the Briton is one of the top three drivers in F1 currently, at the very least. He even went on to claim that Russell may well be on the journey towards becoming the very best driver in the whole sport.

Russell has started the 2025 season in brilliant fashion, having finished P3 in both the Australian and the Chinese Grand Prix in back-to-back weekends, and sits third in the drivers' championship. He also claimed P4 in the first Sprint race of the year in Shanghai.

Mercedes has had a good start to the year overall, as rookie Kimi Antonelli has also shown great potential already, having finished P4 in Australia and backing it up with a solid P6 finish in China.

As Russell has carried over his consistent performance from 2024 into the new season, Wolff was full of praise for his driver after the race in China. The Austrian claimed that Russell may well be one of the top 3 drivers in F1 right now.

"He [Russell] is absolutely among the top three, if not top two, maybe on his way to top one." [via Sky Sports]

After Lewis Hamilton's departure from the Mercedes setup, Toto Wolff has entrusted George Russell to take up the role of team leader at the German Team. With a solid start to the season, it looks like the three-time race winner is settling in well into his new role at the Silver Arrows.

He is also expected to help out rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli in his development within the team, as the 18-year-old arrives with a huge reputation already looming over him. The Italian has also impressed in the early stages of the season, especially with his recovery drive from P16 all the way up to P4 amid torrid rain-affected conditions in Melbourne in round 1.

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George Russell shared verdict on his Chinese GP performance

George Russell on the podium after the Chinese Grand Prix - Source: Getty

George Russell has claimed that his performance over the course of the Chinese Grand Prix was one of the best in his entire career up until now. The 27-year-old was consistent throughout the weekend, and also surprised many viewers by qualifying as high as P2 for the main race.

After the race ended on Sunday, Russell told Sky Sports his feelings about yet another positive weekend for him and his team in Shanghai. He said:

"Probably one of my best weekends in Formula 1."

Although it has been a positive start to the year for Mercedes, the team will still be hoping to do even better and hoping to claim its first victory of the season in the next round in Suzuka, scheduled for April 06.