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The Sahira Grand Prix was the most unfortunate stage of the season for Mercedes of all the past: Valtteri Bottas and George Russell finished only eighth and ninth. The weekend’s results were summed up by team leader Toto Wolff.
Q: Toto, in the first half of the race for Mercedes everything was going perfectly, the British fans watched with enthusiasm as George Russell raced towards the first victory, but the success was not destined to happen. What do you feel?
Toto Wolff: First of all, it’s good to see new faces on the podium. The Racing Point drivers performed very well, Esteban Ocon won second place, I am very happy for him. I am not saying this because I want to complete any paperwork, we are very happy that Esteban had such a good career. Well, Sergio Pérez, of course, showed impressive speed.
As for us, we did a really bad job, you cannot say otherwise. At the right time, the radio communication did not work, one of the mechanics did not listen to the instructions, as a result, George was given the wrong tires.
Question: Did George get tires intended for Valtteri?
Toto Wolff: Exactly. So George had to go back into the pits, but even then the chances of winning were not lost. But the problems do not come alone: a little later, the problems continued with a puncture of the wheels of Russell’s car …
Q: Did you really need to do a double pit stop?
Toto Wolff: The hard tires worked quite well for us, the drivers were able to mount them easily until the end, but the difference with the rivals allowed us to put a new set and get back on track at the head of the pack. Tactically, we performed correctly, but we mixed the kits.
Question: How do you evaluate the performance of George Russell and the team as a whole? Before that pit stop, Mercedes had dominated the race as usual …
Toto Wolff: During the weekend we were good and sometimes technical errors happen. It was not a mistake by any of the employees. This is a technical error. Bad things happen, for us it will be a lesson.
Interlocutor: We heard him say a few words to Russell on the radio …
Toto Wolff: Of course, emotionally, this is a very difficult time for George. In his first weekend with Mercedes, he claimed victory and had to win the race. He piloted to perfection, you can’t say otherwise, but the result is what it is. Again, for George this is not the last attempt to fight for victory, this weekend is the beginning of a successful story. We haven’t won yet, but we saw the birth of a new Formula 1 star.
Q: Do you think George has what it takes to become a multiple world champion? You have watched him over the years, what can you say about his possibilities and abilities?
Toto Wolff: Lewis Hamilton is now an absolute reference for all, his records will be unsurpassed for a long time. But today we are convinced that the younger generation of runners is gaining strength, these guys are capable of performing really well. George is in his early twenties and has a bright future ahead of him.
Q: Toto, when will it be known if George will be able to play for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi?
Toto Wolff: You must first understand how quickly Hamilton recovers. The main thing is that Lewis in general is in order, today he said that he feels much better. If the new virus test is negative, Lewis will return to the cockpit of his car and will undoubtedly have a brilliant career. And if the test comes back positive, George will speak for us in Abu Dhabi.
