Toto Wolff Tries to Solve George Russell’s Mental Block Amidst Series of Poor Results: “This Is a Myth He’s Creating”

Srijon Jana | 31/08/2023
Toto Wolff Tries to Solve George Russell’s Mental Block Amidst Series of Poor Results: “This Is a Myth He's Creating”

George Russell had an incredible debut season at Mercedes in 2022, but things haven’t been the same this season. After struggling throughout the first half of the season, things were made worse by a complicated Dutch GP for Russell that has only gone on to create a mental block for him. However, as per Grande Premio, recent comments made by Toto Wolff reveal that the Mercedes boss is trying hard to solve Russell’s psychological issues.

Russell’s first season at Mercedes was an immense success as he went on to beat Lewis Hamilton in the standings by 35 points. However, as of now, halfway into the 2023 season, Hamilton is already 56 points ahead of his teammate. Russell has failed to settle into the car and while Hamilton had chalked up four podiums already, Russell has only managed one.

Toto Wolff backs up George Russell amidst poor results

Despite Russell’s inability to make the most out of his chances this season, Toto Wolff insisted that Russell’s poor results weren’t down to his poor pace. Instead, he has always taken the blame for the young Brit’s failures.

As quoted by Grande Premio, Wolff said, “I’m trying to get it into his head that he hasn’t lost shape. That this is a myth he’s creating. You don’t unlearn driving and you don’t lose shape. It’s ups and downs, like we all have and race car drivers are like that too.”

Things got even worse for Russell at the Dutch GP as his whole weekend was ruined following a huge blunder made by Mercedes. Races like these can destroy a driver’s self confidence, which is exactly what is happening to Russell at the moment.

The disastrous Dutch GP for Russell

Russell was set to have a brilliant race in Zandvoort after Qualifying in P3, 10 places ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton in P13. However his race came undone after Mercedes waited too long to pit him onto intermediate tires as the rain started to pour down.

Russell finished the race down in P17, last of the runners, compared to Hamilton’s P6. He was quite evidently distraught during the race as he asked his team on the radio how they managed to mess up a race when a possible podium was on the cards.

Russell needs to find his form desperately and only then can he help Mercedes stay ahead of Aston Martin, who are closing in for the P2 spot in the championship. As mentioned by Toto Wolff earlier this season, it is vital for Mercedes to finish P2 behind Red Bull in this year’s standings.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
George Russell Toto Wolff

About the author

Srijon Jana

Srijon Jana is a Formula 1 writer at The SportsRush. As a medical undergrad with a passion for motorsports, Srijon loves juggling between cadavers and cars with ease. He started watching F1 when he was only 11, and the beautiful cars grabbed his interest. Even now, he religiously follows all the Grands Prix, and when he is not gushing over Charles Leclerc, he likes to dabble in football as well. He is a college quizzer with several state-level and national-level accolades. He is a proud Ferrari fan, and loves to pass his free time reading, watching movies, and spending some quality time with his friends and family.

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