Wolff: Russell Showed Pace to Challenge Verstappen in Baku

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff believes George Russell had the raw pace to compete directly with Max Verstappen for victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, despite Russell finishing 14.5 seconds behind the Red Bull driver. Russell secured a second-place finish, overcoming a challenging weekend where he battled illness.

Why it matters:

• Mercedes has struggled to consistently challenge Red Bull for race wins this season, making Russell's strong performance and Wolff's assessment a significant indicator of potential closing gaps.
• A competitive Mercedes is crucial for a more exciting F1 season, as it could prevent Red Bull from dominating entirely and intensify the battle at the front.
• Russell's ability to perform at a high level while unwell underscores his resilience and talent, further cementing his position as a top-tier driver.

The Details:

• Raw Pace Comparison: Wolff stated that Mercedes' initial analysis showed Russell's pure performance was "within a tenth of Max," suggesting a much closer fight than the final time gap indicated.
• Race Outcome: Russell started fifth on the grid and climbed to second, passing Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson, and overcutting Carlos Sainz.
• Illness Impact: Russell skipped media day on Thursday due to illness but still competed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
  • Russell commented, "It's been a tough run of races recently, and I also have not felt well this weekend. That made today even more challenging than it could have been, so I am very pleased to finish second."
• Tyre Performance: Wolff praised the W15's performance on both tyre compounds, noting Russell's impressive pace throughout the race.

The Big Picture:

Mercedes has been on a development curve, and a strong showing like Baku, even if not a win, provides crucial data and confidence. While a direct win challenge didn't materialize, the underlying pace suggests that Mercedes is making strides in understanding and optimizing their W15 chassis. This performance could be a turning point, offering hope for more competitive races in the second half of the season.

What's next:

• The focus for Mercedes will be on translating this raw pace into actual race-winning challenges, particularly by improving qualifying performance and race strategy to stay closer to Verstappen from the outset.
• Russell's recovery and sustained performance will be key as Mercedes aims to build on this momentum in upcoming races. The team will be scrutinizing the data from Baku to understand how to consistently extract maximum performance.
• In the Drivers' Standings, Russell remains in fourth place, 33 points behind Verstappen, highlighting the need for sustained top finishes to close the championship gap.