Wolff surprised by Mercedes' British GP failure as Russell left in disbelief

10 July 2023 , 11:42

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Toto Wolff was surprised by the McLarens at Silverstone (Image: HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Toto Wolff admitted he expected Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to both reach the podium by the end of the British Grand Prix.

The Brits qualified sixth and seventh on the grid at Silverstone. The younger of the two was slightly ahead, beating the seven-time world champion's Q3 time by just five-hundredths of a second.

The two Ferraris ahead of them might not have been seen as much of a threat given how poor they have been in races this year. That proved to be the case, as Hamilton and Russell made light work of getting past them.

It was the McLarens which were the unknown quantity. Lando Norris qualified second with rookie team-mate Oscar Piastri one place behind.

Their pace in the race was strong from the off and it looked like both would join winner Max Verstappen on the podium. However, the timing of a safety car period meant, when the race resumed, Hamilton was third behind Norris while Russell was on Piastri's tail behind them.

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Both McLarens were on the more durable but slower hard tyres, while the Mercedes cars had soft rubber on. Given that situation, it seemed likely that the Silver Arrows would be able to get past both without too much trouble and secure a double podium.

But that was not the case. Norris and Hamilton played out the most thrilling battle of the race, won by the younger Brit who managed to keep his boyhood idol at bay. And Russell, who had similar trouble getting past Piastri, was taken aback by how quick the chrome-laden cars were on those tyres.

Russell was also shocked by just how quick the McLarens were during the race (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

"Those McLarens are so quick on the hards – impressive," he said over the radio as he tried and failed to move past the Aussie in front of him. He had to settle for fifth behind Piastri, while Hamilton was third on the podium alongside Norris and Verstappen.

After the race, team chief Wolff admitted his shock. He said: "To be honest, when the safety car was deployed I was pretty sure if not convinced that we will be eating up the McLaren and finish with a P2 and P3 or maybe even challenge at the front. So you see just how strong the [McLaren] car was.

"We had a go in the first few laps but they both raced very strong with their efficiency and top speed through the high-speed corners and on the straight there was just no way in passing them. So that came as a surprise."

Russell echoed that sentiment, and said: "The McLarens were impressive, they drove a great race. I feel bad for Oscar – he was driving really well. I've been super impressed by what he has achieved this year. He was the deserving podium finisher."

Daniel Moxon