Mercedes boss touts George Russell as a future Formula 1 champion

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says George Russell is a "champion in the making" following his maiden pole position in Hungary and consistency shown during the first half of the 2022 Formula 1 campaign.

In 2022, Russell joined Mercedes from Williams, replacing Valtteri Bottas, and has been consistently in the top five finishers during the first half of the F1 season.

While driving an underpowered 'back of the grid' Williams car in 2021, Russell managed to make the top 10 in qualifying four times and only failed to escape Q1 just three times.

So far this season, Russell had only finished outside the top-five once, when he had a DNF at the British GP at Silverstone.

In an interview after Russell's pole in Hungary, Wolff stated: "George is a champion in the making, and he was a champion in all the junior categories - in F3, F2, as a rookie.

"We would have never put him in a Mercedes if we didn't believe he can be a future world champion. It is George's first pole, so that will always be something special for him, and us, because that is a moment to remember.

"But George had these incredible performances in junior series, and he had it in Spa last year in the rain. It is just another milestone of the many he is going to achieve."

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