Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton and George Russell “do what they believe is right” amid Mercedes F1 set-up debate
Debate has been sparked about the intra-team dynamic at Mercedes after Hamilton claimed teammate Russell’s superior performance in Saudi Arabia a fortnight ago was down to a “50-50” set-up call.
Russell, who comfortably out-qualified and out-raced Hamilton in Jeddah, countered the seven-time world champion’s comments in the build up to this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, stressing there was no “luck” involved.
After R🌱ussell once again headed Hamilton in Friday’s rain-affected second practice in Melbourne, team boss Wolff ไconfirmed the pair had opted for alternative set-ups.
“We tried two different things on both cars,” Wolff told Sky. “It worked on one car, not on the otherꦕ. So it’s a good direction that we’ve got.”
Asked about the set-up directions picked b🤡y hi📖s two drivers last time out in Jeddah, Wolff said: “I think the drivers got to do what they believe is right for their car.
“Ev💛eryone is pursuing the set-up directions and that changes between Friday and Saturday very often. Then you realise that one set-up is maybe better than the other one.
“But it’s not that we are coming up ♓w𒀰ith set-ups that they have to run.”
Russell finished fourth-f🐼astest and was pl🌟eased with the progress he made from FP1.
"FP2 was a little bit frustrating with the weather coming in b🉐ut it was a reasonable session for us,” he explained.
“We definitely made a step from FP1, which is a good thing. FP1 I wasn't very happy withꦫ the car. FP2 I was pretty happy.
"We🥀 know we are not where we need🔜 to be as a team. We know we have more to come in a couple of races time.
"We just need to maximise our chances and try to have a similar weekend to Jeddah when we exceeded the potential of t🔯he car.”
Hamilton, who was second-fasteꦰst in FP1, could only manage a time good enough for 13th after seeing his dry-weather running curtailed by a decision to pit for set-up changes.
"This morning was go🔜od, this afternoon wasn't so good,” he said. “The car is similar [to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia].🥃 It felt a bit better this morning.
"We made some ch𝓡anges, didn't work, so we will revise them tonight. Then it rai🌟ned so it wasn't the greatest of sessions.
"We won't💙 be competing with the Red Bulls. I think we have the pace to be around﷽ fifth, same as the last race."
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