Russell ends Mercedes’ winning drought that had lasted since Brazil 2022.
The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, described his radio message to George Russell during the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix as “the silliest thing” he has ever done during his tenure.
Russell took advantage of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris’ punctured tires resulting from a collision at Turn 3 on lap 64, moving from a distant third place to an unexpected lead.
With the British driver in a position to secure Mercedes’ first Formula 1 victory since November 2022, Wolff got on the radio to tell Russell, “you can win this.”
Russell urgently responded, asking to be allowed to drive, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri approached from behind. However, the Mercedes driver managed to hold on and secure his second career victory.
Reflecting on this funny moment after the race, Russell revealed that he almost crashed due to Wolff’s loud and excited voice, which overwhelmed his rational thinking at that moment.
“Suddenly, I had Toto shouting in my ear, you know, you can win this, and I almost crashed because his voice was so loud,” Russell recalled.
“But I think it just shows the passion that we all have, and it has been a challenging couple of years for us. It’s fantastic to be back on top.”
Wolff admitted that upon reflection, he felt “embarrassed” and “ashamed” for almost jeopardizing Mercedes’ chances of winning by intervening on the radio.
“I believe I know the drivers well and what they sometimes need to motivate or focus, because I spend so much time with them,” Wolff explained.
“I believe I understand their psychology. But that was the silliest thing I have done in my 12 years at Mercedes.
“I will feel ashamed forever, because you should never send a message to the driver during braking or in high-speed turns.
“But I didn’t check the GPS, I just saw the two colliding and we anticipated it, and then I emotionally pressed the button and said ‘we can overcome this’.
“I could have caused an accident with that message! Imagine how terrible that would be to feel.
“I was excited. I enjoy our success and like to see Lewis and George doing well. I just got carried away in that moment, but truly, it was embarrassing!”
