Mercedes boss recalls punching Kimi Raikkonen while defending a young George Russell

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed that he had punched former F1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen while defending a young George Russell. The British driver joined the Mercedes Driver Academy in 2016 and went on to have one of the more impressive junior careers in recent history as he won F3 and F2 in consecutive years.

Ahead of his making his first start in the sport, the Brit was presented with the F2 trophy at the FIA Ceremony at St.Petersburg in 2018. Speaking with ORF, Toto Wolff revealed that a drunk Kimi Raikkonen had insulted a young George Russell backstage, which did not sit well with the Austrian.

While recalling the tale, Mercedes team boss believed that it was an "embarrassing moment" for him, saying:

"It's a somewhat embarrassing story, but it's what happened. I grew up in a tough environment where sometimes you had to defend yourself. We were in St. Petersburg for the awards ceremony, and a Formula 1 driver [Raikkonen] insulted George, even though he had won the F2.

"Then I had to throw a punch, and that was the end of it. I will give everything for my family or my team. I will always put my arm around their shoulders if necessary to protect them. Conversely, I myself need the support of my team just as much."

George Russell has been associated with Toto Wolff ever since and is currently the lead driver at Mercedes following Lewis Hamilton's exit at the end of the 2024 season.

Mercedes team boss comments on George Russell contract talks

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that he wanted to continue with his current lineup of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli after Max Verstappen decided to stay with Red Bull for the 2026 season.

Speaking with Sky Sports in Spa, the 53-year-old reflected on the subject of both his drivers being out of contract at the end of the year, saying:

"This [Russell and Verstappen] is all more in the let's say long-shot, far-fetched [ideas] because I want to stay with Kimi and George as it stands. Everything else is not realistic but obviously, if you have a Russell/Verstappen line-up that's Prost/Senna I guess, no?"

The four-time F1 race winner is yet to sign a contract extension with the German team despite performing at a very high level since the start of the 2025 season. George Russell has claimed six podiums this year, which included a race victory at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, and has the most amount of podiums outside of the two McLaren drivers.

However, the Brit on multiple locations has mentioned that he was in no hurry to sign a new deal and was focused on his on-track results.