Mercedes-Benz

GEORGE RUSSELL has been warned by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff he must respect ‘certain boundaries’ when he joins from Williams.The 23-year-old driver was confirmed as Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate for the 2022 season last month, replacing Valtteri Bottas.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has told George Russell he must respect ‘certain boundaries’Credit: PA
Williams driver Russell will take Valtteri Bottas’ seat at Mercedes next yearCredit: PA
And the British star has declared that he is not joining Mercedes to be Hamilton’s No 2.
Having previously been referred to as a “wingman” for the 36-year-old Hamilton by Wolff, Russell stated he intends to compete for the Formula One World Championship with his compatriot.
And former F1 star David Coulthard believes that the pair will clash due to Russell’s eagerness to win.
It is something that Wolff is desperate to avoid following Hamilton’s fiery rivalry with ex-team-mate Nico Rosberg, before the German quit in 2016 after winning the world title.
Not looking for history to repeat itself, Wolff has insisted that no driver is bigger than the team.
Wolff told the Daily Mail: “This is Mercedes. We have no place for the genius jerk. Even a superstar driver has to respect team values.

“But with Lewis, we’ve been eight years together now. He’s not an arrogant, spoiled little kid.
“He’s a mature racer who has won seven titles, six with us, so we can take those moments, it’s part of our role to be a trash bin for the driver sometimes.
“In the car, you can get very frustrated and emotional. You are racing at 200mph, in the rain, you have no idea about the overall picture of the race and decisions are being made that you cannot understand. In the early years, I would bite back at Lewis.
“He was very young and I had to make the point that I wouldn’t allow the driver to bad-mouth the team. But we’ve been moved on from there a long time.
“Still, I wouldn’t hesitate in the future if a driver talked bad about the team or wasn’t appropriate, I would first deal with it internally and if that didn’t yield results I would take the driver out of the car. On the bench, yes.
“I don’t think that would ever be Lewis. He’s a team member, not a contractor, a driver that comes and goes.
“We’ve been together since 2013. We know each other so well, there’s so much trust and respect. I was close to putting a driver on the bench when it was Lewis and Rosberg. Twice. In 2014 and 2016.
“I said I would judge over 48 hours whether one needed to sit out. I still don’t know who it would have been.
British star Russell has stated he isn’t joining Mercedes to be Hamilton’s No2Credit: Getty Images – Getty
“But that was long ago. It is unimaginable given the relationship I have with Lewis today that it could happen now.”
He added: “And George Russell is another intelligent young man. He will slot into the team but that doesn’t mean he has to hold back when driving. You can’t expect a lion in the car and a puppy out of it.
“But there are certain boundaries within the team that must be respected and George knows them very well. Once the lights are green, only the drivers are responsible. 
“I can’t interfere, manage, or remote control them, but one thing is of ultimate importance — don’t touch. That’s your responsibility. You can race hard, but no contact.

🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
“I’ve been there before with Nico when it wasn’t just a rivalry. There was a lot of animosity and that’s not going to happen.
“This is about showing respect for each other and it can be hard because if you race on the same spot on the race track you will eventually come across each other — but there is an integrity we expect that no one is ever bigger than the team.
“The drivers know that. You represent 2,000 people who work for us and 350,000 people who work for Mercedes. So again, you are the solar system and the Mercedes star — that’s the sun.”
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CHRISTIAN HORNER has admitted that he ‘aged about 25 years’ during the climax to last night’s thrilling US Grand Prix.The Red Bull boss could only watch and hope as Max Verstappen was chased down by Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton.
Christian Horner embraces Sergio Perez after the raceCredit: Getty
Max Verstappen hoists his trophy into the airCredit: Rex
While appearing faster than Hamilton in Austin, Texas – the Dutchman’s last pit stop came eight laps earlier than the Brit’s – giving the seven-time world champion fresh rubber for his epic late chase.
Despite his ageing tyres, Verstappen somehow managed to stay out of DRS range as the race reached its crescendo, finishing just a second before his rival.
Following the race, in which Red Bull’s Sergio Perez also grabbed third, Horner told Sky Sports that he ‘aged about 25 years’ during the closing stages.
He then added: “I really didn’t think he was going to pull that off.
“Lewis had eight laps newer tyres, and the first set of hard tyres that came off were pretty much down to the canvas.
“We were thinking we’re not going to have much at the end here but Max managed that tyre in the last stint.

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“You know Lewis at the end of the race is so strong and he had gone long and got himself an advantage.
“I think to lose in the last few laps would have been really painful but Max held on, he did a great job, managed the job really smartly and had just about enough at the end there.”
Verstappen himself described the last few laps as ‘fun’ and his victory ‘incredible’.
He said: “Of course we lost out in the start so we had to try and do something else,.
“The tyre wear is quite high around this track, we went aggressive and I was not sure it was going to work but the last few laps were fun. A bit sideways through the high-speed corners but super happy to hang on.
We gave it everything we had and they were just quicker than us this weekend, for whatever reasonLewis Hamilton
“It was exciting. The whole race the pressure was on, not knowing how quick Lewis was going to get you. It’s incredible to win here.”
The crucial victory sees Verstappen go 12 points clear of Hamilton with just five races remaining.
Hamilton, 36, said: “We gave it everything we had and they were just quicker than us this weekend, for whatever reason.
“I thought for a second that we might be able to win the race.”

🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
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LEWIS HAMILTON has been dealt another blow in his pursuit of the world championship as Toto Wolff admitted Mercedes engines are ‘hanging on for dear life’.Hamilton was hit with a ten-place grid penalty at the Turkish Grand Prix last time out after getting his fourth new engine of the season fitted.
Lewis Hamilton’s title challenge could be wrecked by ongoing engine failures for MercedesCredit: Alamy
Drivers are permitted three Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) per season.
Now in the United States this weekend, three of the four teams who use Mercedes ICEs are taking engine penalties.
Sebastian Vettel of Aston Martin and Williams’ George Russell will start from the back of the pack in Austin tomorrow as they got their fourth ICEs.
And Valtteri Bottas is on to his SIXTH engine so will begin Sunday’s race five places below his qualifying position.
That is Bottas’ third penalty in four races as concerns rise for Mercedes boss Wolff – but the constructors are not entirely sure what the problems are as the grid penalties mount.
The team principal said: “I think you see that we are suffering with reliability this year.

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“We are going on to the sixth engine, I believe it is for Valtteri, and it’s not something we choose to do.
“On the contrary, we are trying to really get on top of the problems and we haven’t understood [them] fully.
“I think we are a step closer now, so it’s not always that we are literally easy with having the engines.
“We are hanging on for dear life in supplying all customers and that is not trivial.”
Hamilton spent some time in Los Angeles before heading over to Texas for the race weekend.
The reigning F1 champ trails Max Verstappen by six points with six races remaining this season.
And Wolff knows the ongoing engine issues could cost the team and Hamilton dear come the end of the year.
The Austrian added: “I think when you look at Monza, for example, Valtteri had to start from the back and we are losing points on the way.
“We are trying to push the performance every year, and this year we’ve come to a point where that has cost us points.

🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
“Over the last seven or eight years, that mindset has won us races and championships.
“So I would have hoped for a few less penalties and use less engines, but this year it has really hit us hard.
“McLaren and Aston Martin are more fortunate and in that respect, we just have to take it on the chin and do the best possible job.”
Toto Wolff knows the problems could derail his team’s 2021 seasonCredit: Getty
Valtteri Bottas is on to his sixth ICE of the campaign as the issues mount and more penalties hitCredit: Getty More