Earlier this week, Formula1News.co.uk was told by an informed source in the paddock that Williams are planning on sacking George Russell to make way for Sergio Perez next year.
“The new owners of Williams want to have two pay drivers in the team to give them the best chance of having a good car in 2022,” the source told this publication.
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“They obviously know that George [Russell] is a stronger driver than Nicholas Latifi, but they believe that the improvements they can make to the car as a result of the additional money [from Perez and Latifi] will offset the difference in driver performance,” they added.
Ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix, acting Williams team principal Simon Roberts refused to comment on the constructor’s planned driver line-up for 2021.
And now, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stressed that George Russell’s future at Williams will ultimately be decided by the Grove-based team’s new management and owners despite the British driver having ties to Mercedes.
“Sometimes he is able to show highlights in a car that is not competitive at the moment. And I think he’s a great team asset,” Wolff said when asked about Russell.
“But there’s obviously a financial reality that I cannot judge at all and it’s absolutely the judgement of the new owners and Simon [Roberts] to decide what they want to do going forward,” he added.
Wolff subsequently confirmed that he has spoken to Williams about Russell’s future at the team: “We’ve touched base about George but at the end, like I said, it’s their call.”
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