George Russell had a very eventful weekend in Canada. He secured pole position but lost two places and finished P3 in the race. Many believe it was all down to his unforced errors that cost him the win. However, despite his errors, 1996 world champion Damon Hill believes Russell shouldn’t be getting instructions as he did during the race by Toto Wolff.
After Russell made a mistake by clipping the curb at turn 8 and allowed Lando Norris to pass by, Wolff got on the radio and asked the 26-year-old to remain calm and focused. Speaking of the incident on the most recent episode of the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Hill said,
“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 focus. I think he knows what he’s doing, to quote a famous racing driver. But I do think that this is a problem for George because he’s been there at Mercedes. They haven’t had a great run, but he is definitely doing the job for them.”
Hill then also confessed Mercedes needs to start backing the young Brit more as he has been delivering. Instead, Hill believes that the team must focus more on Lewis Hamilton’s replacement.
The 63-year-old believes the team needs to help Russell become the team leader and put their trust in him. However, it is pertinent to note that Wolff was not the only one who took note of Russell’s errors.
Toto Wolff and others blame George Russell for silly errors in Canada
There are some who believe Russell is doing an incredible job. However, on the other hand, Toto Wolff was not fully satisfied with some of the 26-year-old’s racing maneuvers on the track.
As quoted by Planet F1, Wolff believed Russell’s attempted pass on Piastri was too risky and forced. The Austrian said, “Maybe he could have avoided [the mistakes]. I think the pass [on Piastri] was never on in that corner.”
Ralf Schumacher was of the same opinion. The former racer was critical of the 26-year-old’s overtaking. He believes Russell often goes way beyond the limits, which results in him making errors. Schumacher said, “George’s speed is always there. But when it comes down to it, he wants to force his way through the wall.”
Hence, if Russell learns from his mistakes and keeps up the aggression, he might be rewarded for it. Aggressiveness is often criticized when the team pays for a driver’s mistakes. Therefore, there is a thin line that can result in a driver receiving all the plaudits, and a driver being criticized for their shortcomings.
