Damon Hill rips into Toto Wolff and Mercedes over George Russell treatment
Damon Hill believes Mercedes and Toto Wolff must take some responsibility for George Russell's mistakes at the Canadian Grand Prix
Former F1 champion Damon Hill has ripped into Toto Wolff for 'undermining' George Russell and believes Mercedes need to treat him better and give the Brit more support. Russell led the way as the Silver Arrows produced their strongest weekend of 2024 so far in Canada, taking pole position and then finishing third behind Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and Lando Norris of McLaren.
Team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who started down in seventh, came home fourth. However, it was a race that Mercedes could have won. While the car’s lack of pace has let Russell and Hamilton down since the seismic change of regulations two years ago, this time it was the drivers who didn’t fully deliver, with both making mistakes in the race.
One costly error from Russell late on as he chased Verstappen allowed Norris to overtake him, effectively ending his victory hopes. After that error, team boss Toto Wolff came onto the radio to urge his driver to “focus”.
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Russell owned up to a “couple of mistakes” after the race which he said felt like a “missed opportunity”. However, 1996 world champion and Sky Sports pundit Hill reckons Mercedes and Toto Wolff can do more to help the Briton by showing him more support.
“He is trying to establish himself as the lead driver,” said Hill on Sky Sports' post-Montreal podcast. “They're talking all the time about who's going to be his team-mate for next year, rather than talking up George. I think that Mercedes ought to back him a bit harder.
“They ought to give him a bit more confidence. And then he doesn't perhaps have to try so hard to prove himself in the race, because it seems to me he's trying to compensate a little bit for stuff. I think he needs to cool it.”
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As for Wolff’s unusual radio intervention during the race, Hill added: “I think it can be slightly undermining if you're getting coached by your team boss over the radio during the race, being told to sort of focus. I think he knows what he's doing, as a famous racing driver.”
With Carlos Sainz, who will be replaced by Hamilton at Ferrari in 2025, being overlooked and Verstappen set to remain at Red Bull for at least one more year, teenage hotshot Kimi Antonelli, 17, looks set to be Russell's stablemate next season.
