© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
At one point in the Monaco Grand Prix, George Russell asked Mercedes to let him swap positions with Lewis Hamilton, but Toto Wolff says he told him they are “not even discussing that”.
At one point in the Monaco Grand Prix, George Russell received a five-second penalty for unsafely rejoining the track. He then found himself in P5 behind Lewis Hamilton, with Charles Leclerc behind him.
Unsure if he would be able to keep Charles five seconds behind him, he asked Mercedes to allow him to swap positions with Lewis, so that the Briton can serve as a buffer between him and Leclerc.
George’s thinking was that he would keep Lewis within five seconds of himself, so that when they cross the finish line, Lewis would regain his P4, while George would be able to finish ahead of Leclerc.
Mercedes decided not to do it, and George ultimately managed to finish ahead of Leclerc anyway.
At one point Toto talked to Russell over the team radio, to give him words of encouragement, and after the race he explained why the conversation was necessary.
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“[George] generally puts a lot of pressure on himself, that’s his way,” Toto told Servus TV.
“We might have to consult and coordinate. I don’t think he also really thought we would swap positions. I said we are not even discussing that.
“Staying calm is important. Without his error, it would have been a podium finish, we were ahead of [Esteban] Ocon.”
Ultimately Toto said Mercedes’ solid P4 and P5 was made possible by the team’s strategy decisions.
“It was a race where you could do a lot wrong and fly off the track, but the pace was really good in the rain.
“The strategy choices were right, and then that’s a result we can be happy with today,” Wolff concluded.
