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Toto Wolff Says Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Has Two of the Best Three Drivers in All of Formula 1

We’re only four races into the 2022 Formula 1 season and Mercedes have amassed just 77 points in the Constructors Standings, trailing Ferrari by as many as 47 points. Just to gain some perspective, at this time last year, the UK-based German outfit sat comfortably at the top of those same standings with 141 points.
Mercedes-AMG F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell 6 photos
Photo: Mercedes
Mercedes-AMG F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and George RussellMercedes-AMG F1 carMercedes-AMG F1 Team driver Lewis HamiltonMercedes-AMG F1 carMercedes-AMG F1 car
This year, things got a little out of hand. Some of it has been bad luck but mostly, Mercedes is struggling with their setup, experiencing brutal porpoising issues. There could be a fix as soon as the Miami GP comes around, but we’ll have to wait and see.

In a recent interview, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff came out to defend the performance of his drivers, while also expressing his admiration for the way Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have been collaborating for their collective good.

Wolff started by saying how impressed he is with the way Russell has settled within the team, adding that both drivers have been working together with no friction, being very productive and positive for the team.

He then went on to say: “And I couldn’t be happier with the driver line-up; in that respect I think we have the two best drivers, maybe two of the three best drivers and they deserve a car and a power unit that fights at the front rather than them being lapped. That’s not what any of them deserves.”

We can’t help but wonder who he thinks is the other driver worthy of a top three mention. It must be Max Verstappen, right? I mean, he’s the reigning world champion and he deserves everyone’s respect, including that of his rivals.

Also, putting Lewis up there is fine, he certainly has enough titles under his belt. But I’m not sure Russell, as much as I like him (I think he’s already one of the best drivers in the world), is on the same level as Hamilton and Verstappen just yet.

Furthermore, there’s no reason to think he’s better than Leclerc, or even Norris, although that’s not to say he’s necessarily worse either.
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About the author: Sergiu Tudose
Sergiu Tudose profile photo

Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration.
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