Toto Wolff acknowledges George Russell's discomfort with his Mercedes despite a podium finish at Silverstone. While Russell's race strategy helped him secure second place, he remains uneasy with the car.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has acknowledged George Russell's ongoing discomfort with his car, even after Russell clinched a podium finish at his home race, the British Grand Prix. Despite landing in second place, the Briton struggled to find his rhythm with the Mercedes, trailing behind teammate Kimi Antonelli, who won the Sprint and took pole position.
Russell's weekend was far from smooth. He grappled with a gravel excursion during qualifying and generally lacked performance compared to his teammate. His race was no walk in the park either, as he battled with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton before a timely Safety Car intervention allowed him to leapfrog into P2.
Reflecting on the Sunday outcome, Wolff told Sky Sports F1, "The sweet part of the day today is that I'm so happy for George and all the team because, you know, he's had difficult weekends. He somehow doesn't gel with the car. We had a straight line speed problem yesterday and the day before. And, you know, a driver sometimes needs to feel comfortable in the car, and he doesn't. And then scoring a P2 today in Silverstone, that's something that I'm really happy for him."
Russell's race strategy was pivotal. A slow puncture threatened his race, but Mercedes' decision to keep him out during the Safety Car period allowed him to sneak past Hamilton. Despite this, Russell was candid about his performance, admitting he felt he "didn't deserve to stand where I stood."
This result, however, keeps Russell in the championship mix, closing the gap to standings leader Antonelli to 25 points after Antonelli faced his own car issues at Silverstone.
"I think he's holding on," Wolff commented on Russell's championship prospects. "They have both had the luck and the unluck of the year – Kimi now twice, George once. And the season is long. He just needs to continue to believe that he can do it. Finding, you know, those little gremlins in the car that cause him troubles at the moment."
Looking forward, Wolff emphasized the importance of recalibrating before the upcoming races in Belgium and Hungary. "I think recalibrate, recover, we have a weekend break, and then come strong for the last two races," he told F1 TV.
While Russell's performance might not have been flawless, his podium finish at Silverstone was a testament to the team's strategic acumen, and perhaps a hint of good fortune. For now, both driver and team will be looking to iron out the kinks in their quest for championship glory.