Toto Wolff Vows Support for George Russell After Belgian GP

Toto Wolff has promised full support for George Russell after the Mercedes driver retired on the opening lap of the Belgian Grand Prix and endured a difficult weekend technically.

Russell was eliminated after colliding with Lewis Hamilton at the Les Combes chicane. The contact sent his car into the gravel, while Hamilton later received a five-second time penalty after being found responsible for causing the collision.

The retirement compounded a weekend in which Russell had repeatedly complained about a lack of power compared with team-mate Kimi Antonelli. The setback further damaged his championship prospects after Antonelli converted pole position into victory.

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“I haven’t seen him yet, but it is completely understandable that when you are out of a race like this, the frustration and emotions take over,” Wolff said.

“He has our 100 per cent support. We are trying to solve all the issues and he is doing everything he can to improve his driving. I am going to try to put my arm around him,” the Mercedes team principal added.

Wolff explained that Russell was not the only driver affected because all Mercedes-powered cars suffered from reduced straight-line performance. He accepted full responsibility for the issue and acknowledged that it had hit Russell particularly hard.

Wolff also praised Antonelli for remaining composed after losing the lead under the Virtual Safety Car. The Italian gradually closed on Charles Leclerc and secured his sixth victory of the season.

Wolff believes the Belgian result reflected Mercedes’ wider season, with technical failures and incidents alternately affecting both drivers. The team must now solve its power deficit and help Russell rebuild confidence ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.