Toto Wolff reveals his favorite George Russell memory with Mercedes

Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff shared his favourite memory with George Russell. Speaking about this during the 2025 Brazil GP, Wolff stated that Russell's debut race for Mercedes in Bahrain back in 2020 was his favorite.

The Mercedes AMG F1 team released a video showcasing many team members' favorite memories with the British driver, and Wolff was one of them. When he was asked about the same, here's what the Austrian boss said:

"When I sit down with him before the Bahrain race, where he stepped in for Lewis, decompressing with him before that race. That was good."

Following Wolff, Valtteri Bottas, the Mercedes reserve driver, and Kimi Antonelli, Russell's teammate also shared their favorite memories, respectively.

"Favorite George Russell memory is actually from this year when we travelled to a race together, and we played ping-pong on an airplane." "Back in 2022 when he won his first F1 race here in Brazil, that was a very impressive race, especially holding off Lewis."

Here's the video where Toto Wolff, Valtteri Bottas, and Kimi Antonelli shared their favorite memories with George Russell:

Back in 2020, George Russell was a Williams driver, but he was called to fill in for Lewis Hamilton after the seven-time world champion was out with Covid-19. Russell, on his very first race for the Silver Arrows, showed his mettle and qualified in P2, behind temporary teammate, Valtteri Bottas.

After starting the race, he improved significantly, leading the race at one point until disaster struck. A heartbreaking pit stop error and a late puncture forced him to finish in P9, just behind Bottas, and ahead of Lando Norris. Even though he brought two points for Mercedes that day, he proved his worth in machinery he was not used to.

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George Russell let his feelings known after disastrous 2020 Sakhir GP

George Russell shared his thoughts after he lost the chance to win the 2020 Sakhir GP, that too twice. Speaking to the media, here's what the British driver said:

George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W11 makes a pitstop during the F1 Grand Prix of Sakhir - Source: Getty

"I've had races where I've had victories taken away from me, but twice? I just couldn't believe it. I gave it everything I had. I was managing the race at the start, I felt confident, comfortable, managing the gap to Valtteri." "Then obviously we had the muddle up in the pit-stop, that put us on the back foot, I had to overtake. I think we still could have caught Sergio, we had such a tyre advantage, the car was so quick. Gutted," he further added. (Via Sky Sports)

Russell went back to race for Williams the very next race, and raced with them till the end of 2021. In 2022, he joined Mercedes to race alongside Lewis Hamilton and is still with the Silver Arrows, spearheading the Brackley-based outfit.

Edited by Sabyasachi Biswas