Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has postponed the much-awaited Russell-Bottas decision, to the dismay of fans.
With one of the two driver seats already announced by Mercedes, all eyes are on the second one. The first one was a no-brainer in the form of Lewis Hamilton, but the second one can go to George Russell or Valtteri Bottas. Many expected Mercedes to announce it during the summer break. However, it still hasn’t materialised, and now it has been postponed.
As reported by formulapassion.it, Wolff explained the reason for the extension, saying, “We have to choose between Valtteri’s stability and George’s talent, projected towards the future.
“I want the whole issue to be addressed in September, so that both of them can position themselves properly for next season.”
It is still very much a toss-up, and fans can only speculate. Russell seems to have the more logical parameters going for him, but Bottas has been an integral part of Mercedes’ success for all these years. It seems the conundrum is not just faced by the fans, but by Wolff and indeed Mercedes as well.
The case for both
Russell has been a revelation on the F1 grid. He has overachieved in the much-slower Williams, being dubbed ‘Mr. Saturday’ for his incredible qualifying pace. Recently, he scored his team’s first points in two years. If he can do all this in a much inferior car, the scenes when he sits in the Mercedes cannot be imagined.
Actually, it could, because it did happen for one night. Russell raced in the Mercedes as a replacement for Hamilton, who has tested positive for COVID-19 at the time. He impressed everyone and actually did better than Bottas.
Meanwhile, Bottas is having a lacklustre season by his standards. Streaks of terrible luck and form have haunted him this season, but he is still very much a team player. He has helped Hamilton win, and has held off the competition to make sure Mercedes leads the Constructor’s Championship. Over the years, he has won a few races as well.
All eyes are on the defending champions. Will they opt for the new blood in Russell, or will they stick with the same choice in Bottas?
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