Russell finished eighth at the US Grand Prix, 54 seconds behind Mercedes Teammate Kimi Antonelli, who secured a ninth victory of the season.

Russell’s race was affected by a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Russell later became trapped behind Oscar Piastri’s McLaren until the chequered flag. “George just struggled so much, and I believe this is because the operational window of the car is so difficult,” Wolff said.

Russell showed competitive pace during the second qualifying session but struggled in the final session.

Wolff also questioned why Russell had been unable to overtake Piastri despite Mercedes and McLaren using the same engine and electrical deployment systems.

A major upgrade introduced by Mercedes before the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia appears to have widened the performance difference between Russell and Antonelli.

Wolff said the updated package remained difficult to operate, but Antonelli had successfully placed the car within the required performance window. “At least the positive news is that the car works,” Wolff said. “Now it’s about widening the window of operation.”

Mercedes will retrace setup and development decisions to understand the car’s limited performance on Friday and stronger pace during the remainder of the weekend.

Wolff rejected suggestions that Russell was inherently slower than Antonelli. “George, for all of us in the team, is a champion and has won in every category,” Wolff said.

“I think George merits being placed in the group of the very best drivers.”

Wolff said Russell remained extremely competitive when the car’s setup matched Russell’s requirements.

However, Russell appeared to struggle more than Antonelli when the W17 fell outside the optimum operating range. “That is on us,” Wolff said. “George is not half a second or three-tenths slower than Kimi. That is absolutely not the case.”

Antonelli could become the youngest Formula One World Champion at the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend.

–F1/ChannelAfrica–