Toto Wolff will soon sit down for talks with Valtteri Bottas and George Russell to find out which driver the Mercedes boss will choose to partner with Lewis Hamilton next season. Bottas, the 31-year-old Finn, is Hamilton’s current teammate, but Britain’s 23-year-old Russell has emerged as a serious prospect in his three years at Williams.
Russell signed a three-year contract with Williams in 2019 and is set to advance in 2022. He built on his growing reputation at the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 1st, finishing eighth and earning his first career points. Bottas, on the other hand, did not finish at the Hungaroring and is currently fourth in the drivers’ standings.
A decision on who will work with Hamilton for the next season was expected before the current F1 campaign resumes in Belgium this weekend. Mercedes boss Wolff announced that he would soon hold talks with both men.
“It’s not an easy decision because we know the qualities of Valtteri’s personality, his character, the integration into the team, the driver’s development of the car and its speed,” said Wolff. “He deserves to drive for Mercedes.
“On the flip side, George has spent his three years at Williams showing big, big hopes for the future and he deserves the chance to actually be at the front of the grid in a competitive car.
“There are pros and cons with each of them, but I think now is the time to make decisions. I told them that I didn’t want to put off much longer. I just want to end the vacation, go to the spa and have the conversations face to face.
“For me personally it is important to understand that with every decision we know what the consequences are and what career opportunities there are for each individual. Before I communicate a decision, everything has to fit. “
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“Together we can do this very well. The fact is that the drivers cannot have much influence on it. Yes, there is a bigger machine behind it that ultimately makes these decisions.
“Unfortunately there is nothing to say. It remains to be seen what happens. I don’t think there will be any news in the near future, but yes, those things will become clear in time. Everything is going in the right direction. “
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