Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has lavished praise on George Russell for his exceptional drive in Spielberg, which culminated in his second career win in Formula 1. The victory marked a welcome return to the top step of the podium for Russell and Mercedes, their first since the 2022 São Paulo Grand Prix.
In an interview with Sky Sports F1, Wolff commended Russell’s ability to stay within “touching distance” of the leaders, ultimately capitalizing on a collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to secure the win. Wolff emphasized that Russell’s pace was solid throughout the race, and the team was satisfied with a potential third-place finish.
“When the opportunity presented itself, Russell seized it, and Wolff was thrilled to see his driver take advantage of the situation.”
The Mercedes team principal was particularly relieved to have secured a good result at the Red Bull Ring, a track where his team has historically struggled.
Looking ahead to the upcoming British Grand Prix, Wolff expressed optimism that the Silverstone circuit would play to the strengths of his team. “We love Silverstone, it’s always been a happy place,” Wolff said. “It’s high speed, the cars have always been good there. We have two drivers that love the circuit, and hopefully, with the motivation and the energy we have now, we can really make it a spectacular race.”
Wolff also hinted at future developments in the pipeline, aiming to extract more lap time from their car. “On real pace, we were 15 seconds behind after 70 laps, so it’s around 2 tenths. It’ll be difficult, but we have many great things in the pipeline in terms of development, and we’re going to bring more until the end of July.”
As the WEC 2023 season takes a brief pause, attention shifts to other racing series, including Formula 1. Mercedes’ recent win is a welcome boost to their campaign, and they will look to carry this momentum into the British Grand Prix. With the WEC 2024 calendar yet to be announced, fans will be eager to see how the remainder of the 2023 season unfolds.
Photo: LAT Images
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