Christian Horner ‘stirring s---’ over George Russell contract, says Toto Wolff

Toto Wolff has accused Christian Horner of “stirring s---” following the suggestion that Red Bull could try to sign George Russell.

Horner mentioned the expiry of Russell’s contract with Mercedes next year following the 2025 season and openly admitted that he would be “foolish” to not consider the 26-year-old Englishman’s availability at that time.

“We just want to take time to consider what those options look like for the future,” Horner, the Red Bull principal, told Sky Sports. “And we’re not afraid to go out of the pool [of Red Bull drivers]. You know, George Russell is out of contract at the end of next year. It would be foolish not to take that into consideration.”

Wolff, who is the Mercedes team principal, was unimpressed by the mention of his driver. “He is always stirring s--- up on his part,” Wolff said. “It’s part of the game. George is a Mercedes driver, has been forever and hopefully will be forever. He has a long contract with the team.

“I don’t flirt outside. I’ve not entertained any discussions with any drivers when giving it all from the team to make it a success. This is why all of our focus in the team is on George and Kimi, and that’s what I also said. There’s no discussion, there’s no second thoughts about what we are doing in 2026, because now it’s about 2024 and 2025.”

Russell is expected to become Mercedes’ lead driver when Lewis Hamilton leaves for Ferrari at the end of the season, with the 18-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli stepping up from F2 to take the second place in the team.

For Red Bull, Max Verstappen has recently admitted that he is questioning his future in the sport while Sergio Pérez’s deal with Red Bull runs until the end of 2026.

Wolff and Horner have clashed previously over recent years, notably the 2021 season when Verstappen so controversially pipped Hamilton for the title in the final race of the season.

Verstappen is closing on his fourth straight title but Red Bull trail McLaren in the constructors’ table, albeit ahead of fourth placed Mercedes.