As Motorsport.com reports, Mercedes Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff openly admitted that the Brackley outfit let down George Russell following a disastrous Mexican Grand Prix hampered by an energy deployment issue.
Things had looked so promising at the start of the weekend. Russell launched his Silver Arrow from second on the grid, missing out on pole position to seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton by a razor-thin margin of just 0.009 seconds. But that early promise evaporated immediately when a deployment glitch spoiled his getaway.
My aim is to provide him with the equipment and the support he needs to fight for a championship.
To make matters worse, the trouble compounded on the opening lap. Russell collected a 10-second penalty following a collision with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, completely unraveling his afternoon while team-mate Kimi Antonelli charged through to finish third and claim his maiden championship title. Russell meanwhile dragged his wounded machine home down in sixth place.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Wolff did not mince words about the team's failure. "We completely let him down today again," Wolff stated, noting that at that stage they were still investigating the exact root cause. "I believe he was racing for the victory here and then came this lack of energy and ruined his race. We have two drivers, we don't have one. The car just didn't work for him this year. And then misfortune like today, we just have to sort it out for him."
The fallout from the race has dealt a heavy blow to Russell's championship aspirations. His sixth-place finish dropped him from second down to fourth in the drivers' standings, leaving him 11 points adrift of second-placed Max Verstappen and nine points behind Hamilton.
"This is a very difficult moment for him; very, very, very difficult moment," Wolff added, outlining his personal commitment to the struggling driver. "My aim is to provide him with the equipment and the support he needs to fight for a championship."
F1
F1
F1
