Interview: Wolff backs Mercedes' F1 line-up: 'With a good car, we'll be there'

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has backed his driver line-up tobring success to the squad should they have a capable car. LewisHamilton and George Russell have been paired together at theBrackley-based outfit since the start of 2022. However, theirpartnership coincided with new technical regulations that sawMercedes slip down the pecking order while rivals Red Bullstretched clear of the competition. Mercedes has won just a singleGrand Prix in that period as Russell prevailed at the Sao PauloGrand Prix last year. Following two relatively uncompetitive years,Mercedes is overhauling its car design with the W15 for next yearset to be vastly different to its predecessor. When asked by selectmedia if Hamilton and Russell are the best line-up in F1, Wolfftold select media including RacingNews365 : “If we give them theright car, yes. “I think there's a few others, Max you cannot doubthim. He’s already one of the best drivers. If you give our[drivers] a great car, then we’ll be right there. 'Everyone needsfeedback' Russell rued a number of lost points during the year ashe fell to eighth place in the Drivers' Championship, whileHamilton ended the campaign in third. Wolff stated that Mercedes'“fragile” car resulted in performance swings between the pairduring the year. “Everybody needs some feedback,” Wolff explainedregarding Russell. “He's a very strong character and he came out ofthe summer [break] very strong. “He changed his approach a littlebit and that was good. Then it swung the other way around. “Lewisperformed in an extraordinary way but I think these swings theyhappen. They happen from track to track with this fragile cars youknow you can come from a very good weekend to a very bad [one]suddenly. “Everyone needs an arm around the shoulder. I have mywife who puts an arm around my shoulder.”