Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff admits George Russell “not always given the car to perform”
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team boss Toto Wolff has admitted George Russell has at times been compromised by not having “the car to perform” this season.
Russell, currently in an intense fight with Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari duo Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc for second in the standings, recently missed out on the World Drivers’ Championship to teammate Kimi Antonelli.
It had long been an eventuality that Antonelli was going to be crowned the youngest-ever F1 champion, but that won’t come as any consolation to Russell, who has been honest to say he has struggled this year.
Off the podium in seven of the last 10 grands prix, Russell is now 130 points behind Antonelli and he has an 11-point deficit to the second-placed Verstappen.
Currently fourth and sandwiched between the two Ferraris, Russell will need a very strong end to the season if he is to propel himself back into the top three.
"For George, there is natural disappointment,” said Mercedes team principal Wolff ahead of this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
“He has been hard on himself but he has driven at an incredibly high level this season and shown again the quality we know he has.
“There have been circumstances out of his control that haven’t always fallen his way, and we have not always given him the car to perform.
“Nevertheless, the way he has continued to push and contribute to the team says so much about him.”
Mercedes out to clinch Constructors’
It’s certainly not all doom and gloom for Russell, as Mercedes could clinch the Constructors’ Championship in Interlagos if they outscore Ferrari by three points or more.
Although it’s not the individual accolade he would have wanted, being part of the winning team is a huge achievement – not least because it would be Mercedes’ first since 2021.
“Our focus has already moved to Sao Paulo,” continued Wolff. “We came into this season wanting to fight for both championships and there is still a job left to finish.
“The teams’ title is about the performance of the entire operation, both at the track and back in Brackley and Brixworth, and securing it would mean a great deal to all of us.
“Nothing is won yet, though. Interlagos is always a demanding weekend and there is little margin for error.
“We need to execute strongly from the first session and put ourselves in the best possible position to bring home both titles this season.”