Is Mercedes doubting George Russell as it’s team leader?

George Russell might not have completely won the confidence of Mercedes for leading the team next season.

Is Mercedes doubting George Russell as it’s team leader?

Toto Wolff and George Russell (Via: Imago)

Mercedes has supported George Russell since his junior days. The British driver spent three seasons at Williams before finally being promoted to the Brackley-based team. Lewis Hamilton‘s shock Ferrari move paved the way for Russell to be the team leader at the squad next year. However, it seems that the Silver Arrows is not fully confident in the 26-year-old.

After Hamilton announced his switch to Ferrari, Toto Wolff asserted that George Russell would become the team leader. The Silver Arrows seemed to have faith in the Briton and looked for 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement.

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However, in the past few weeks, Mercedes has once again opened its options. Carlos Sainz is rumored to be in the running. With Toto Wolff admitted that the team had reached out to Fernando Alonso for the seat few months ago. As such, one could wonder if Mercedes is doubting George Russell as it’s team leader?

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George Russell might not be ready to lead Mercedes

Toto Wolff has consistently expressed his interest in luring Max Verstappen to Mercedes. Even Mercedes executives have shared the same intent publicly. This is rather strange if the Silver Arrows truly saw George Russell as its lead driver for the future. As, Verstappen would undoubtedly take the role of the leader at any team he races at.

george russell and toto wolff
George Russell and Toto Wolff (via IMAGO)

Moreover, during the Austrian GP, when Russell inherited the lead after the clash between Verstappen and Lando Norris, Wolff shouted on team radio that the Briton could win the race. It seemed as if the Mercedes team boss needed to motivate his driver to ensure that he would not lose the lead in a matter of a few laps.

Nevertheless, George Russell remains an important figure at Mercedes. It is likely that the Briton will stay put as team leader next season with the signing of Kimi Antonelli. However, such incidents might be highlighting few cracks in the team’s confidence in Russell. It will be interesting to see how the Mercedes driver takes up his new role next season.

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