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Toto Wolff executed a shrewd tactic to restrict the engineers at Mercedes from joining rival Ferrari. According to the paddock chatter, the Mercedes boss deliberately spread rumors that Ferrari was behind its rivals in 2026 engine development.
Recently, various reports surfaced that stated that the Prancing Horse, which is usually the frontrunner when it comes to engines, has fallen when it comes to competition. They were reportedly behind the likes of Mercedes and Honda to an extent.
As per a post on X (FKA Twitter), Toto Wolff deliberately spread rumors in the paddock to stop engineers at his team from joining Fred Vasseur's team. It was alleged that the Mercedes boss executed this to make Ferrari a less attractive destination for them.
Engineers jumping ship is not now or out of the ordinary in F1, as the Maranello team saw two of its renowned engineers leave the side a few days back. Wolf Zimmermann and Lars Schmidt have reportedly separated with Ferrari and will join Audi next season.
F1 is all set to undergo a new set of regulations in 2026, as teams will have to make new engines. Ferrari, Mercedes, and Honda are said to remain as front-runners while Red Bull and Alpine are set to catch up.
Toto Wolff expects Russell to sign a deal soon
George Russell now looks to be in a stand-off with Mercedes as talks over an extension have entered into September. Earlier, it was expected that this issue would be sorted out during the summer break after Max Verstappen, who was a possible threat to his seat, decided to stay at Red Bull.
But the 27-year-old has still not put pen to paper with only eight races now remaining in the ongoing season. Toto Wolff has maintained that an extension remains a mere formality, and he expects Russell to sign a deal soon.
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