Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff explains after the Belgian Grand Prix how the team plans to re-motivate a frustrated George Russell for the rest of the season
After the Belgian Grand Prix, George Russell appeared extremely disheartened. Due to a collision with Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes driver was forced to park his W13 prematurely in the gravel trap and now trails his teammate Kimi Antonelli by 50 points in the World Championship. How can a driver be re-energized in this difficult situation?
“You have to understand that drivers are very emotional in situations like this,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff explained to our sister site Motorsport.com after the race. His driver’s anger was not only visible on race Sunday but also audible via social media. After the Grand Prix, a very specific radio message made the rounds: “Un-fucking-acceptable,” were the words of the third-place driver in the World Championship.
“On the other hand,” Wolff said, “as a Formula 1 driver, you belong to an elite group. It’s an honor to drive for Mercedes. Sometimes we let ourselves down. That applies not only to the drivers but also to us.”
Meanwhile, according to his comments after the race, Russell is now completely numb to the disappointment. “I hope that numbness goes away,” Wolff says when asked about it. “We’ll try to help him and restore his optimism and positivity.”
When asked whether a driver like George literally needs a comforting arm around his shoulder, the team principal replies: “I think with all drivers—at least the ones I’ve worked with so far—it’s like this: When they’re going through a difficult time—and that happens to every athlete at some point—you have to find a way to motivate them and help them bounce back.”
“George has his own way of doing things, and I try to respond to that exactly. I’ve known him for a long time, I understand his frustration, and the team is 100 percent behind him.”
It wouldn’t be the first time the team principal has stepped in to help his protégé this season. During qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, for example, Wolff sent a radio message to prevent him from overthinking the situation: “George, just drive!”
In the end, the Mercedes driver secured pole position and won the race in Spielberg. Experts such as former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya confirm this impression of a supportive environment. “Mercedes is really good at helping its drivers, managing them, and taking care of them,” he said in his analysis after the Belgian Grand Prix.
“You never hear the team putting the blame on the drivers. Other teams love to do exactly that.”
Consequently, Montoya believes that Russell remains the perfect driver for the Silver Arrows. On the post-race show on F1 TV, he described the Mercedes driver as a team player.
At the same time, Russell faces a mammoth task in his championship duel with Antonelli. While the 19-year-old has secured six wins this season so far, the more experienced of the two Mercedes drivers has recently struggled with technical issues. A lack of top speed made his job difficult not only at Spa but also at his previous home Grand Prix at Silverstone.