Toto Wolff Admits Russell’s Mercedes Was Not Ready for Singapore Qualifying

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed that George Russell’s car had not been fully restored before qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix following the Briton’s heavy crash in the sprint race.

Russell made an impressive start to Saturday’s wet sprint from second on the grid, overtaking Max Verstappen and taking the lead into the first corner. However, his race ended at the conclusion of the opening lap when he accelerated too early, crossed the white line, spun and crashed into the pit wall.

Mercedes mechanics then worked against the clock to rebuild the car ahead of qualifying. Russell managed to set the sixth-fastest time, although he was already due to start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid because of a power unit change.

Wolff Praises Mercedes Mechanics

Wolff praised the team’s efforts but admitted that the rushed repairs had affected the car’s condition.

“I have to say that the mechanics did an incredible job putting the car back together, but perhaps we didn’t have all the sensors on the car in the end, and it didn’t feel as good as it did before. So George did a really good job,” Wolff said.

Speaking to German media, the Austrian added that Russell’s car had only been completed at the last moment and that the floor was probably not in its ideal condition.

“When I saw the yellow flag, I didn’t think it was him, because I couldn’t imagine George making that kind of mistake, as it hadn’t happened for a long time,” Wolff admitted.

Mercedes Still Needs More Data

Wolff also stressed that the team needed further evidence before he could feel completely confident about its latest concept.

“We will need more evidence of the concept before I feel completely comfortable and confident, but tomorrow we will have more data from the race,” he explained.

With Kimi Antonelli starting fourth and Russell at the back of the grid, Wolff acknowledged that Mercedes would need to limit the damage in Singapore.

“Overtaking here is difficult, but we will give everything we have to recover positions and score a decent number of points,” he concluded.