Wolff continues to believe in Russell: “He won’t give up”

The knockout in Canada The weekend in Montreal ended bitterly for George Russell, who had started from the first spot on the starting grid and won the Sprint race. Precisely in the latter, the Englishman managed to get the better of a duel that created some tension with his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, now leading by 43 points. A gap that widened not only due to the victory of the young Bolognese in Canada, but also due to the retirement of the #63 Mercedes at a stage of the race in which he was occupying the first position. Wolff’s words So, while Antonelli is already starting to be indicated as the favorite to win the world title, the first to still believe in Russell’s return is the Mercedes team principal: Toto Wolff. The Austrian manager is in fact convinced that his driver can soon take revenge after the four consecutive victories of his young Italian rival: “Things didn’t go his way in the last few races – he explained – he could certainly have won several points during the main race. He was in the lead, but if I had to name one person in this paddock in terms of resilience and determination, it would be George.” Already in the previous races, in Shanghai and Suzuka, Russell encountered problems with the gearbox and incorrect set-up respectively, only to then stop in Montreal due to a battery failure. A retirement that sent him into a rage, as demonstrated by the throwing of the headrest on the track (an act that cost him a fine of 5000 euros: “He has already had to overcome obstacles in the past, from karting to youth formulas. He won’t give up – added Wolff – there are still 17 races to go, if I’m not mistaken, so there are still many points up for grabs. It’s just a matter of waking up the next day, processing what happened, forgetting it, move forward and look to the future, driving to the best of his ability, and that’s exactly what he will do.”

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News , 2026-06-02 15:00:00