Toto Wolff is not ruling George Russell out of the title fight if he can convert his pole position into victory at the Hungarian GP.
Toto Wolff is not ruling George Russell out of the title fight if he can convert his pole position into victory at the Hungarian GP.
Russell has had an extremely consistent season, having finished in the top five in 11 of the first 12 races.
He is 90 points behind Max Verstappen in the championship, but Wolff doesn't consider this disadvantage irreversible even in a very difficult year for Mercedes.
When asked if fighting for the title is still possible, Wolff replied to : "It's very difficult to say because we have a huge points disadvantage to Max, like everyone else, but you see how quickly that can disappear when they stay out of contention at the front."
"We will never give up. We doubt all the time, we oscillate between depression and exuberance, and that's what makes the sport so tough and so exciting at the same time. I wouldn't rule anything out if we can win tomorrow."
Commenting on whether Russell has a genuine chance of beating the Ferraris and winning for the first time in Formula One in Hungary, Wolff added, "I think so."
"You know we haven't fought for wins yet this season. We know how fast Ferrari has been all the time. Charles (Leclerc) was solid in the lead in the last race."
"Max is a little further back, which is also not bad for the final result. So I think he (Russell) will be highly motivated, as will Lewis (Hamilton)."