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Wolff urges 'perspective' as Russell chases Mercedes' teammate Antonelli / Photo: © AFP
Wolff urges 'perspective' as Russell chases Mercedes' teammate Antonelli
Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff on Thursday urged George Russell to dump his emotions and remain cool and balanced ahead of his home race, this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
Russell, winner of last Sunday’s Austrian race and pre-season favourite for the drivers’ title, has overcome a series of setbacks in recent weeks to leap into second place 40 points behind team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ title race.
"We need to keep a sense of perspective," said Wolff, talking to reporters at Silverstone ahead of Sunday’s race.
"It's like one weekend we're the greatest and we are world champions and this is all fantastic... and then the next, five days later, is the big depression, and that 'everything is shit and the upgrade didn't work or the engine is not what we wanted'".
Wolff insisted his team must retain perspective and keep an eye on the long term.
"Some you win, some you score solid points and some you lose," he said.
"Last week, if you had spoken about George, 36 hours before the race, we would have said ‘this campaign is really not going well and is he ever going to recover?’
"And now, suddenly, he's the real deal! Let’s keep a sense of trajectory. It’s important. I have never had any doubt that this drivers’ championship will go very long.
"It’s a three-way race at the moment and it is important to keep on scoring points."
Russell goes into this sprint race weekend on 131 points, six ahead of former team-mate seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari on 125, but both remain a speck in the rear-view mirror of Italian teenager Antonelli who has 171.
"Silverstone is one of the standout races on the calendar,” added Wolff.
“It’s a great circuit, the fans create a unique atmosphere and with our factories just a few miles away, it is something of a home race for us.
"Once we take to the track though, it’s about performance, not the occasion. We delivered well in Austria, with a double podium, but we are not in a position where we can assume it carries over.
"The field is too tight. The order is changing too quickly and what looks competitive one week can look very different the next."
F. Fernandes--JDB
