F1 News
Wolff sees Russell taking over F1: 'On his way to top 1... philosophically'
Goerge Russell finished in P3 in the Chinese Grand Prix last Sunday after clearing the field behins him and fighting momentarily with Lando Norris for P2. Although he lost that tussle with his fellow Briton, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, sees the positives in his driver's result and claims he's en route to becoming the best in F1... philosophically.
With the W16 Mercedes have finally put their lack of correlation between their simulation tools and their actual on-track pace behind them, Wolff says at the paddock in Shanghai. "The platform is stabler. When we turn a screw on some kind of mechanical device or wing or surface, then it does what we expected."
However, P3 is not Mercedes' goal, but rather to fight for wins and championships again. A tough ask, but one that the Austrian team principal is very much looking forward to. "But we have to also be realistic that it's not where we want it to be. We feel that we will be happy when we start winning races and fight for championships, but there is no sense of entitlement. You have to work your way to that, and this is the exciting journey that lies ahead."
Wolff gives Russell a 10 out of 10
"I never give [a] 10 out of 10, because I think there is always better. We haven't seen the perfect race. But considering the circumstances that George had today, it is a 10 out of 10 because he extracted the maximum of his car, the tyres, the strategy, and was a brilliant drive," added Wolff regarding Russell's Chinese Grand Prix.
During the winter Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari and Andrea Kimi Antonelli's debut for Mercedes dominated the headlines, while Russell's name stood in their shadow, something Wolff noticed as well. "All these discussions are wrong. Lewis, because he's the biggest person in the sport, leaving to Ferrari, obviously great story. Kimi coming in as the youngest driver and the high potential, then little was said about George."
'George is a on his way to top 1... philosophically'
However, luckily for the Austrian's aspirations, his team have in Russell, an absolute top 1 driver, albeit if only philosophically. "But I always said that that's not right because he's one of the top drivers out there. If you want me to name three that I consider to be the top, he's absolutely among those three, if not top two. And maybe on his way to top one... philosophically," concluded Wolff.