Why George Russell Insulted Toto Wolff After He ‘Screamed’ a Radio Message in Austria

George Russell was in the right place to capitalise on the Austrian Grand Prix feud between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. So why did he respond to team boss Toto Wolff’s message by saying “let me fucking drive”?

As George Russell explains, Wolff’s radio message came at the wrong time and his Mercedes boss’s passion nearly made Russell lose his concentration. While the British driver won the Austrian Grand Prix, Toto Wolff’s enthusiasm could very well have turned into disaster.

Russell: “I almost crashed”

When Verstappen and Norris collided, the Red Bull and McLaren suffered enough damage that both drivers were forced to pit. In an instant, the situation changed and Wolff reacted immediately, calling on the radio to tell Russell: “You can win.”

Russell retorted, “Let me drive, damn it!”

In the post-race press conference, Russell explained that his reaction was because he had almost lost control of his Mercedes when he heard Wolff’s voice in his ear. The race, he said, had been difficult overall and Wolff’s message had almost broken his concentration.

“It was very windy out and I think the car felt a bit strange,” Russell explained.

“On my laps to the grid, we checked everything and everything was fine. But the pace seemed strong.

“Lewis attacked me early in the race, but once I got past him I opened up a bit of a gap to Carlos. I knew Oscar was going to be quick, and he came out of nowhere towards the end of the race on those hard tyres. For me it was quite difficult.”

“And then, all of a sudden, Toto yelled in my ear, ‘You can win.’ And I almost fell over when he yelled in my ear. It was so loud.”

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This kind of sudden noise would have shocked anyone, but it was perhaps particularly frustrating for Russell,

Remember, earlier this year Russell was involved in a violent crash while chasing Fernando Alonso on the final lap of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix. And last year in Singapore, Russell had a close call with the wall while battling with his teammate for a podium place on the final lap; his race ended in the barriers.

The British rider certainly wouldn’t have wanted to repeat any of those incidents in Austria – and especially not because a sudden radio call from his boss led to a critical loss of concentration.

Fortunately, Russell’s abrupt reaction had the worst consequences. He crossed the line first, giving Mercedes a well-deserved victory.

“I think it just shows the passion that we all share,” Russell said at the press conference, referring both to Wolff’s strong message and his own curse in response.

“The last few years have been difficult for us. It’s a great satisfaction to be back on the top step of the podium.”

Read more : Austrian GP Conclusions: Verstappen vs Norris, Adrian Newey’s Theory, Russell’s Valuable Lesson