Damon Hill Urges Mercedes to Support George Russell Amidst Toto Wolff’s Alleged Undermining

Damon Hill has advised Mercedes to support George Russell after the Canadian Grand Prix, amidst accusations that Toto Wolff is undermining him.

1996 Formula One World Champion Damon Hill has advised Mercedes to support George Russell, particularly in discussions about whether he commits too many mistakes, following the Canadian Grand Prix.

In Canada, Russell secured Mercedes' initial podium finish of the season. However, it was a lost chance at victory, especially considering their strong performance in dry weather conditions.

Russell veered off course several times, especially while he was in second place, leading Lando Norris.

This prevented him from competing against Max Verstappen for the win.

During the race, Mercedes leader Toto Wolff was captured on the team radio, instructing Russell with the words, "Concentrate George, concentrate."

On the recent episode of the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Hill expressed that Wolff's actions detracted from Russell's position.

"Hill believes George's initial career move to a prominent position even before joining Mercedes is where the issue lies. He points out that George wasn’t prone to many errors initially. However, upon reaching a more elite level, the scrutiny intensifies, with every action being closely monitored and critiqued, highlighting any shortcomings much more than before."

"I'm uncertain, but receiving coaching from your team leader through the team radio during a race, with instructions to concentrate, might be somewhat diminishing. To paraphrase a well-known racer, I believe he understands his actions."

Since the beginning of the previous year, Russell has committed several significant errors.

He was eliminated from the races in Canada and Singapore due to his own mistakes, and also had an incident in Australia, where his attention was diverted by Fernando Alonso moving slowly.

Hill thinks Russell is exerting too much effort to demonstrate his value, due to Mercedes' limited support as they chase Verstappen and show immense interest in Kimi Antonelli.

"Hill mentioned, "This does pose an issue for George. He's been with Mercedes for a while, and despite their struggles, he's certainly fulfilling his role effectively."

Lewis is set to join Ferrari next season. He aims to secure his position as the primary driver, a status he hasn't quite achieved yet, given the ongoing discussions about his potential teammate for the upcoming year instead of focusing on George. In my opinion, Mercedes should offer him more support and boost his confidence. This way, he might not feel the need to overextend himself on the track, as it appears he's attempting to make up for certain deficiencies.

"He should ease up a bit. He possesses the pace, the talent, and the smarts. I'm confident he'll perform for them if they offer him a bit more support in that area."

Explore Further

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Navigation

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Copying or reproducing text, photos, or illustrations in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.