As soon as it became clear that the contact between Norris and Verstappen had compromised the race for both, Toto Wolff opened the radio with Russell for a very animated message: “George, we can win, George we can win!”. Russell’s response was very categorical: “Fuck, let me drive!”. “It’s the stupidest thing I’ve done since I’ve been at Mercedes,” Wolff later admitted. “I didn’t pay attention to where George was on the track at the time, I saw Max and Lando taking each other out and I emotionally pressed the radio button. I could have distracted George at that moment, imagine what would have happened if he had made a mistake because of me… I’m still embarrassed.”
Returning to success after two years has a special flavour for those who haven’t won much, like Russell, but also for those like Wolff who lived through a period in which successes on the track marked the racing calendar.
Starting from the Canadian Grand Prix, Mercedes changed pace, but a victory was certainly not in the team’s expectations. “Rationally we were in the running for third place – confirmed Wolff – that was our position if we evaluate the race pace. I would add that this is the hierarchy that has emerged in the last three races and for us it is already an encouraging result that confirms a consolidation of performance. But then the races take place on Sunday, there have been occasions in which we have lost victories on the track due to accidents, this time we benefited from it.”
It is an important victory, the one obtained by Mercedes. In addition to giving morale to a team that needs morale, it also represents an important step for the figure of Russell, called next year to take on the role of reference driver of the team.
Spielberg’s success can be considered coincidental, but it is no coincidence that Russell was behind the two drivers who are dictating the pace in this phase of the championship. Since Mercedes changed pace, George has achieved a pole position and a third place in Montreal, a fourth position in Barcelona and victory in Spielberg.
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“We are making updates almost every race,” Wolff said. “The factory is running at full speed, we have never made such an effort in the last 20 years. We have been able to develop, design, produce and bring quality parts to the track. Every single race we are making updates and I hope that by the summer break we can make another step forward. If we can close that gap a little bit, which today was 15 seconds in 70 laps, we can be a candidate for something important with more consistency.”
On the Sunday of the return to success for Mercedes, the only opaque verdict was Lewis Hamilton’s race. In addition to the penalty he had to pay for crossing the white line at the entrance to the pit lane, Hamilton paid a high price for crossing a curb which damaged the bottom of his car.
“The engineers estimated the loss of performance at two and a half tenths,” explained Wolff, but the fourth place finish was still precious for Mercedes, as it left Spielberg with the best stage haul of all the teams. Another thing is Lewis’ morale, far from radiant at the end of the race, but today at Mercedes was, rightly, Russell’s day.
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