Toto Wolff counts on George Russell
Bottas gives up his seat to Russell. A difficult choice for Wolff. The team manager is counting on his new driver to continue winning new titles.
An era is ending and a new one is beginning. After five seasons with Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton will have to drive alongside George Russell. A second driver who surely won’t back down in 2022.
Bottas will leave with the reputation of being his teammate’s eternal number 2. He has obtained 17 pole positions and nine victories with Mercedes, but the Finn has rather played the role of support to Hamilton during their partnership. On the other hand, Russell surprises with his great performances behind the wheel of his Williams. This year, he even scored his first points with his team and finished second in the Belgian GP thanks to his qualification on Saturday in 2nd position in heavy rain.
These performances impressed Toto Wolff, director and shareholder of the Mercedes AMG F1 Team. After months of reflection, he made the decision to replace Bottas with Russell. A rather difficult choice for him: “It has not been an easy process or a simple decision for us.” This new duo promises to be very interesting, but it will require an adaptation process for the young Williams driver and to build strong connections with the seven-time world champion.
We are very happy to confirm that George [Russel] will have the opportunity to take a new step in his career and join Mercedes. He has been a winner in all categories of racing and the last three seasons with Williams have given us a taste of what the future could hold for him in F1.
« Now, it is our challenge together to help him to continue learning within our environment and alongside Lewis [Hamilton], the greatest F1 driver of all time. I am convinced that as their relationship develops, they will form a strong team and will match Mercedes on and off the track in the years to come.
A problem solved for Wolff, but the season is not over. There are nine races left to maintain the gap against Red Bull. Mercedes’ goal is to win the constructors’ championship title for an eighth time.
« It’s a weight off our shoulders to have our plans for 2022 clear and announced. We are focusing on the last nine races of this season and doing everything to make our challenges for this year’s championships achievable.
