George Russell has given some insight into what he has learned about Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff since joining at the start of the season. After several years as a Mercedes junior driver, Russell has made an impressive start to his Mercedes F1 career; the Briton is currently ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers' standings after taking three podium finishes so far. His form means there are few doubts about his ability to stay with the team long-term. With Russell seemingly under minimal pressure from the team, he was able to explain what he's learned about working for Toto Wolff, starting with his technical knowledge. "It's been really intriguing for me to see how Toto is involved on the technical front," Russell told the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast. "Firstly, I never quite knew how good his technical knowledge was, but now he is fully involved in all of these technical meetings. He's really trying to push the whole team and he's a racer at heart. "I think [as well as] having a leader who is not only as inspiring as he is and motivating, everybody is clear what a great leader Toto is. "He also understands the technical side of things and can look at things a bit more rationally, maybe from afar, but actually asking the right questions – it goes a long way."
Russell: Wolff has a surprising amount of pace
Years before rising to prominence in Formula 1, Wolff competed in junior single-seater categories and GT racing. Wolff has occasionally been seen racing against the Mercedes drivers in various television and sponsor events. Russell went on to say that he had also been surprised at his abilities behind the wheel of a race car. "We did an ice driving event at the start of this year in Austria, with a load of sponsors. The day finished at six o'clock, and Toto and I stayed until nine," continued Russell. "It was pitch black, but we had lights on this little rally car. He was doing some laps, I was a passenger, and I have my iPhone out on the stopwatch, and then vice versa. "To be honest, I was pretty surprised at the commitment and pace he was showing. He probably went off a few more times than I did, but the pace was pretty strong. So, I'm learning new stuff about him."
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