Russell ‘DOWN’ after Singapore as Wolff reveals how he cheered Mercedes driver up
Russell ‘DOWN’ after Singapore as Wolff reveals how he cheered Mercedes driver up
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed how George Russell was left devastated after his final lap disaster at the Singapore Grand Prix, but that he is making sure he can bounce back in the best possible fashion.
It looked for all the world like Russell was, at the very least, going to finish on the podium, hunting down McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz on a fresh set of medium tyres late on.
But dreams of victory - or a podium, for that matter - were dashed as the race reached its climax, with Russell clipping an outside wall at Turn 10 which sent him hurtling into the barriers.
This wasn’t complete Mercedes unravelling - with Lewis Hamilton eventually taking P3 behind Norris and Sainz - but Russell couldn’t hide his disappointment with a robust assessment of his own driving over team radio.
As the dust settled, Wolff told Sky Germany that it was his job now to put an arm around his heartbroken star and support him in his time of self-doubt.
READ MORE: Russell FURIOUS with himself for 'f*****g rookie' last lap mistake
Victory not possible for Mercedes
He said: “He is totally down. The race was suddenly over for him but when we spoke, I told him that he fought and pushed until the end.
“Towards the end, it was all about third place and not the win anymore and we just need to leave this one on the track.”
On whether it would have been better to stay out rather than pit and chase victory, Wolff said: “We did not see the pace Carlos had but he managed everything so well.
“It was top tier. I think we wouldn’t have been able to overtake him and if we tried, we would have collided.”
Wolff was also asked if he had considered swapping Russell and Hamilton, with Hamilton looking quicker in the final stages.
“In the beginning, George was stronger than Lewis but you can’t just swap them both. We wanted to see what happens," he added.
READ MORE: F1 Team Principals: Who are the men in charge in 2023?
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
McLaren boss keen for stunning Alonso REUNION
- 51 minutes ago
Schumacher BLAMES Horner for Red Bull's Newey nightmare
- 1 hour ago
Hamilton in Ferrari F1 SHOCK after team snub revealed
- 2 hours ago
Newey set for CRUCIAL meeting over Red Bull future
- 3 hours ago
F1 News Today: ‘Absolute b******s’ Newey claims slammed as Norris INJURED while partying
- Today 05:57
Hamilton hit with SURPRISE Ferrari claim as new Cullen relationship blossoms - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
Related news
Red Bull already sending parts to F1 race MONTHS away
Former Ferrari driver insists Sainz win doesn't 'taste special'
Palmer identifies the culprit behind Red Bull's Singapore letdown
AlphaTauri CEO reveals how Tsunoda struggles HELPED Lawson
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860