Mercedes workforce boss Toto Wolff has stored George Russell ready all yr for a brand new contract. Now, after Russell mentioned “nothing’s going to occur over the summer time” contract-wise following a sometimes resolute efficiency on the Hungarian GP, it appears just like the roles have been reversed.
In that context it was attention-grabbing to notice the phrasing of a “mid-season report” video Wolff recorded for registered followers of the Mercedes workforce. In opposition to a background of a rousing video montage, juxtaposed with a curiously soporific Brian Eno-style ambient music soundtrack, Wolff got here as shut as he’s ever more likely to explicitly saying Russell was the quicker of his two drivers final yr.
That is noteworthy since it’s a extremely emotive subject for the fan neighborhood and due to this fact harmful floor, even when the statistics largely bear it out. Whereas each drivers gained two grands prix final season, Hamilton’s Spa victory was an inherited one when his team-mate was disqualified having crossed the road first on the highway.
And, whereas the factors distinction was in the end negligible – Russell beat Hamilton by 245 factors to 223 – the qualifying image was somewhat extra one-sided. Russell outqualified Hamilton 5-1 within the dash occasions and 19-5 in grands prix, a stunning margin given Hamilton’s pre-eminence over a single lap throughout his profession.
“Once I have a look at George, the event he is made since he joined Method 1 from the quick kiddo in Williams,” mentioned Wolff, “after which being drafted into Mercedes, clearly with the best of all greats, with Lewis Hamilton.
“And you have seen already final yr he began to be so robust on pure tempo – by way of the outcomes, the stronger driver. And now with Lewis having gone to Ferrari he is taken the senior driver slot, and it fully got here naturally and he delivers.
“He delivers, even when the automotive isn’t on the extent, he outperforms the automotive, you’ll be able to all the time depend on George. And past the driving, clearly he is additionally nice with our companions and does loads of actions that assist us to construct his model and construct our model.
“So we could not want for a greater number-one driver.”
George Russell, Mercedes
Photograph by: Bryn Lennon / Method 1 by way of Getty Pictures
Final yr Hamilton’s struggles in qualifying naturally turned the subject of hypothesis on the extra absurd finish of the spectrum as weird conspiracy theories started to flow into to account for his efficiency deficit. In June an nameless electronic mail was circulated claiming that Hamilton was being sabotaged.
Later, when Hamilton certified half a second off Russell in Qatar, the net abuse of the workforce intensified right into a blizzard. Wolff responded by describing such folks as “idiots”.
So to revisit the topic is attention-grabbing – and probably important within the context of ongoing contractual negotiations through which Russell is now understood to have a robust place, given his performances this season. Such unequivocally effusive reward of Russell has been comparatively uncommon this season whereas Wolff has been flirting with ‘Workforce Verstappen’.
Equally there will likely be these – notably the Mercedes media managers – who would dismiss this view as publish hoc ergo propter hoc muddling of correlation with causation.
However, Wolff’s encomium will little doubt delight George as he places his ft up on a seaside someplace.
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