Toto Wolff snubs Lewis Hamilton, names George Russell as the best Mercedes simulator driver
Mercedes' Team Principal Toto Wolff puts George Russell ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Mick Schumacher as the best driver on the simulator.
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Toto Wolff and George Russell
Mercedes’ Toto Wolff was all praise for his driver George Russell after being asked about his performance on the simulator. During a chat with Sky Germany, the Austrian could not resist lauding the Brit’s simulator performance. Russell is currently P5 in the drivers’ championship.
Sky Germany asked Toto Wolff about the simulator performances of Mercedes’ 3 drivers; Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and reserve driver Mick Schumacher. “All three are doing well, they are close together,” said Wolff. However, he particularly glorified Russell’s performance calling him a ‘computer kid.’ “George really enjoys it and is such a “computer kid” anyway, he does it very well,” the Austrian continued. Mick Schumacher after being sacked by his former team Haas, was appointed as Mercedes test and reserve driver earlier this year.
F1 teams collaborate with external simulation software like rFpro to create an authentic track environment. This is crucial because visual cues play an important role in helping drivers identify braking points and learn optimal times for turning. The simulator in modern-day Formula One has become more important than ever. Even reserve and test drivers are allowed to try out their team’s simulator.
Mercedes’ recent form has been beyond disappointing given their past records
After the introduction of new regulations, Mercedes couldn’t quite replicate their recent dominant form. Despite finishing P3 in the constructors’ championship last year, Mercedes have significantly dropped in their performance. 2023, came with a ton of expectations for the Silver Arrows. However, with only one podium to Lewis Hamilton’s name so far in the season, it has not worked out for them.
Mercedes’ 2022 season ended with 17 podiums and one win clenched by George Russell at Interlagos. Both the drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished P4 and P6 respectively. The whole of the 2022 season was plagued by bouncing issues for Mercedes and Hamilton’s 8th world title hopes seemed farther than ever.
After bringing in new updates to the Monaco Grand Prix, Mercedes finished the race at P4 and P5, a decent result for the Brackley team. However, Toto Wolff admitted that the car’s true potential will be only found out during the Spanish Grand Prix, as it is a more traditional race track. Lewis Hamilton put his W14 in P5 and George Russell in P12 at the Spain qualifying session, not what Mercedes would have hoped after the new upgrades.
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Riddhi Mondal
(1821 Articles Published)