General
Wolff responds to Bottas rumours: 'Try to get the best out of him first'
- GPblog.com
An interesting rumour has recently come to light: Mercedes would consider replacing Valtteri Bottas with George Russell for the remainder of the 2021 season. Bottas is currently fourth in the championship, 37 points behind teammate Lewis Hamilton. However, team boss Toto Wolff claims to have no plans to replace his driver unless he is unable to drive.
Pressure is mounting on Bottas
Bottas himself dismissed the rumours immediately, saying he is certain he will not be replaced. In doing so, he took a jab at Red Bull Racing, saying there is "only one team that does things like that".
"Unless he gets the flu and can't drive, he will be in the car," Wolff said in conversation with Sky Sports. "I see no reason to change." He makes an interesting comparison: "If you're not happy with your wife and already start looking for another one, it's not going to improve the relationship," says Wolff.
He therefore says it is important to maintain a good relationship with his drivers. "I try to work on that and to get the best result out of him before I start flirting with someone else," Wolff says.