Toto Wolff addresses the 'favorite' tag for Mercedes ahead of the F1 Las Vegas GP

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has addressed the favorite tag ahead of this week's Las Vegas Grand Prix race weekend. In 2024, the outfit amassed an impressive 1-2 finish with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari).

In the 2025 Formula 1 season, Mercedes is in a good-old scrap for second place in the fiercely contested Constructors' Championship. As things stand, the team is in second with 398 points in comparison to Red Bull and Ferrari's 366 and 362.

In Round 21, the Brazilian Grand Prix, Toto Wolff and Co. had a solid race weekend with Andrea Kimi Antonelli securing P2 and George Russell crossing the checkered flag in P4.

With the Las Vegas GP race weekend just a few days away, Wolff has talked about his team's chances. Via a recent interaction with Motorsport, the Austrian has added:

"I've said let's just keep exactly the same car that we had last year, let's not change it, but unfortunately that's not the case anymore. So we've got to be very analytical of what is the car that we need for Las Vegas, what is the ambient [temperature], and can we replicate the kind of performances. But I doubt it. We just need to go there open-minded. It's a new weekend, and hopefully we're able to perform well."

He's further added:

"I would have said Silverstone was a great opportunity. In Montreal we did win, but Silverstone not at all, and Spa, which was not at all. So I don't want to set our expectations based on last year's result. Because we've been beaten before… in Brazil, for example, we dominated one year, the next one was nowhere…"

In 2024, George Russell won the Las Vegas GP by a margin of over seven seconds over then teammate Lewis Hamilton and by 11 seconds over then-Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.

"He's not happy finishing behind me": Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli on Brazilian GP podium ahead of George Russell

While Toto Wolff has come up with a fascinating take on managing expectations from the upcoming Brazilian GP race weekend, Andrea Kimi Antonelli also gave an interesting take in regard to George Russell following the end of the Brazilian GP.

In line with this, the Mercedes driver asserted that Russell was not happy finishing behind him:

"My relationship with George is definitely changing. It’s natural that he’s not happy finishing behind me, just as I’m never happy when I’m behind. The relationship has changed and will change, but there’s a lot of respect between us and there’s a great dynamic in the team, because we’re pushing each other.” (Via: Formula Passion).

Only three Grand Prix events are remaining on the 2026 Formula 1 race calendar. Mercedes drivers Russell and Kimi Antonelli are currently in fourth and seventh place in the drivers' standings.

Edited by Rishabh Negi