Toto Wolff hails ‘champion in the making’ George Russell after Hungarian pole

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hailed George Russell as a champion of the future after he delivered a spellbinding lap to claim his first pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Russell, the 24-year-old from Norfolk, tore up the sport’s form book – edging out Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz by just 0.044 seconds – to become only the fifth British driver this century to take top spot in qualifying.

Russell joins compatriots’ David Coulthard, Jenson Button, his current team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris.

In the other silver car, Hamilton could manage only seventh – his afternoon blighted by a DRS failure – with Russell taking the honour of securing Mercedes’ first pole of a troubled campaign for the grid’s once all-conquering team.

“George is a champion in the making,” said Wolff. “He was a champion in all of the junior categories – in Formula Two and Formula Three as a rookie – and we would never have put him in a Mercedes if he didn’t believe that he could be a future world champion.

“It is his first pole position and that will always be something special for him, and for us, because it is a moment to remember. Today is another milestone of the many he is going to achieve.”

Mercedes appeared to be staring down the barrel of another poor weekend after they were left trailing in practice.

But Russell will be in prime spot to take his maiden win in Sunday’s 70-lap race at a track which has been kind to British drivers over the years.

Hamilton has a record eight wins at the Hungaroring while Button took his first F1 victory, at his 113th attempt, here in 2006. Nigel Mansell wrapped up his sole title triumph at the Hungarian Grand Prix 30 years ago. Russell himself scored his first points for former team Williams at this race