The George Russell Dilemma

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Can George Russell be trusted to lead the line at Mercedes? He's had his good days, he's had his great days. He has also had some absolute howlers. Let's talk about it.
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#TommoF1

[@kianaboston2507]

The parallels between Ricciardo and George's career thus far is insane. Both started at slower teams (Williams and Alpha Tauri), both joined a team after their domination ends( Red Bull and Mercedes), both beating their WDC teammates, and now George looks to potentially be paired with a young superstar in the making (Antonelli), similiar to when Ricciardo was paired with Verstappen. The way Toto hasn't been able to stop talking about Antonelli and Verstappen is interesting considering George is supposed to take the reigns after Lewis leaves but he now seems like and afterthought. Interested to see how George's career plays out from here.

[@Rohan_TD]

Let’s hope that he doesn’t do any stupid moves as Danny did 😓

[@smittywerberjaegarmenjense3566]

minor correction, Ricciardo started with HRT. Interesting comparison for sure!

[@LlocQ]

And both champions went for Ferrari!!

[@MrSparrow1996]

And Both champion teammates go to ferrari, im seeing a pattern there..

[@jan.lotvall]

@@Rohan_TDThe Ricciardo move to Rensult/Alpine at the time was good, but the politics when they got rid of abouteboul was crazy, so moving ot of alpine was also good. BUT moving to McLaren was not right for Ricciardo

[@squabbbb]

Russell needs a Mansell-like moustache, it'd make him look faster

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Valid

[@qaisoo34]

more weight tho

[@gene7887]

​@@qaisoo34just needs to get his appendix out to offset the weight.

[@Lamster66]

Done nothing for Bottas though

[@kyle4493]

@@Lamster66mate if his engine is blowing up and the teams fastest pit stop of the season is 3 seconds, do you think they’re setting him up for success in other areas?

[@mackimations]

1:21 "They've only got two seats, my name's Tommo." Honestly thought that he was going to start listing reasons why he's the guy for the job.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Well...

[@jpg.]

let him cook

[@Worther12]

I thought it was a plea for more garden furniture! 🙄🤣🤣🤣

[@charlesjmouse]

"Can Toto trust Russell?" I suspect the more apposite question is: "Can Russell trust Toto?" ...I think not!

[@youngjedi774]

I think George has become WAY overhated recently due to his incidents and his radio moments. I think almost everyone forgets about how fast he is and what he's proven hes capable of. He's never had a truly competitive car besides Sakhir 2020 but hes already accomplished so much in the sport and half of it seems to have been ignored over the last couple years. Saddening really

[@jungjaehyunsfirstlove]

exactly!

[@alpd7638]

Only Merc driver to win a race with these regs

[@robinthairu]

"Russel doesn't exist" seems to be a thing now... Cause how can you forget how good of a driver he is

[@TheRohBird1]

Exactly my thoughts!! Hes alot like Leclerc in that hes a really good qualifier but tends to make small mistakes in the race. Only difference between them is the number of supporters.

[@CHLBUTTERWORTH]

Wild card prediction: Bottas returns to Mercedes for a year. He's likely going to be kicked out of Sauber, Max ain't going anywhere, Kimi is too green. So why not bring him back for a single season before Kimi is ready. Sainz will either go to Audi or Red Bull

[@Rohan_TD]

Same prediction here

[@ericschaack1028]

Not going to happen

[@Mr-BareMinimum]

Because bottas left Mercedes solely because he didn't want 1 year contract anymore

[@CHLBUTTERWORTH]

@balpreetsingh6765 better than being kicked out of the sport

[@8tonystark8]

Better to bring LATIF1 back

[@SuperMarkizas]

I don't understand where the hate for George comes from, he's always been a bit of a mom's boy, but people liked that when he was in Williams..nothing's changed, and yet he gets a lot more hate.

[@c3vzn]

Part of it is just group think, people act like they've never heard an English person before with his team radios. Part of it is from his incident with Bottas and his slap on his helmet. Either way it's overblown.

[@rickyspanish4792]

Honestly I'm not even seeing that hate.. I think he's pretty well liked, at least in my social circles I think everyone finds him likable

[@NotSoFakeTaxi]

Honestly. I hate him because we is prone to causing crashes and blaming other drivers. Some how he always believes it’s not it’s fault. Even when it’s clear to everyone else that is his fault. Really can’t stand the prat. He’s unbareable.

[@Wrong_Hand_Drive]

@@NotSoFakeTaxiBro. EVERY driver does that.

[@Monty3540]

Because he challenges Lewis. Who has the most toxic fanbase by a country mile ! Looking at the comments under the teams posts is genuinely insane It becomes clear as day for you to realise which fan base really was the worst in 2021…

[@gabehorn69420]

As long as he can’t hear the roar of the crowd, he’s a great driver

[@rajeevkumar9546]

Lol

[@TommoOnYoutube]

His only fault: Audience happy.

[@trautsj]

Imagine if Max goes to Merc and teams with George... Having THREE straight GOATS as teammates with Latifi, Hamilton AND Verstappen... JFC lol

[@Shocker99]

The great goatifi

[@Prins.F]

I mean, Lewis and Max have nothing on the real GOAT….

[@diaboliquedia4300]

Yeah dude, you shouldn't put Max and Lewis in the conversation with the only one true GOAT, it's disrespectful.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Nicholas forever.

[@odbtv4677]

I've been following George since 2016. The junior career speaks for itself. I think if he would have gotten the Merc drive in 2021 we'd be having an entirely different conversation about him.

[@abubakrba2696]

Great take. I think one could make the argument that George could’ve scored more points than Bottas in 2021, potentially taking points off of Max and helping Lewis win it all. Sakhir 2020 sold me on his talent. In hindsight Toto should’ve given him the drive in 2021.

[@xenteko7249]

@@abubakrba2696 Toto tried. Claire Williams blocked it to make the sale of her dad's team more attractive.

[@paperplane-db8qf]

Russell would be WDC in 2021.

[@abubakrba2696]

@@paperplane-db8qf I’m a huge fan of his but there’s zero chance he beats out Lewis AND Max to win championship in his first year with a competitive car.

[@paperplane-db8qf]

@@abubakrba2696 Russell would definitely beat Lewis, he was consistent in 2022 in his first year in a top car and beat Lewis by a big margin. Also the 2021 car was a significantly easier car to drive than anything Russell drove.

[@aaron_ow]

I think this is more-so a "Mercedes Dilemma". Toto needs to sort out his team, you can't expect to entise drivers to stay or transfer from another team if there is nothing but empty promises and endless teething issues springing from the current outfit. Hamilton leaving Mercedes might be the breath of fresh air that forces the team to change it's current ideology.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

That balance they had in the Hamilton x Bottas days feels like it's not going to return any time soon. The challenge is to find a way to make two number one's work - because that's what appears to be the aim now.

[@jan.lotvall]

There is an obvious reason Lewis is leaving... BTW, why is Max promised lifetime Ambassadorship for Merc, but Lewis was declined.... Merky. Racism even????

[@jkbzz]

Toto said the board declined. In reality, I believe Toto did not try. Why? He wanted Lewis out, plain and simple. He has never hidden his admiration for Max even in the aftermath of Abu Dhabi, Toto went partying whilst texting Max congrats and fawning over him. There is no driver on the grid that is more synonymous with the Mercedes brand than Lewis is, to not give him the ambassadorial contract for me, I'll never understand, perhaps it is personal.@@jan.lotvall

[@dylanburston7453]

@@TommoOnKZbin The drivers are not the (big) issue. Its the fact that Mercedes cant build a decent car, and cant upgrade it effectivly any more. The teams operaitional flaws are starting to show as well. All the while Ferrari, AM and Mclaren have all overtaken them in all those key areas

[@r3yd164]

​​@@jan.lotvallit's the drama Queens fault. Because everyone's fear of this racism thing lewis is always favoured from merc and especally FIA ! It's the complete opposite of the bullshit you're writing. To this day almost everything bad Lewis has done ( and there was a lot of shit ) was pardoned. It's hilarious also how many Things has went against his oponents ( especialy against Vettel ). There's a reason why many people consider lewis as one of the worst WC ever, never to be compared to Schumacher, Senna or Vettel and Verstappen. He's only able to win with a perfect car, has no clue how to help the engineers to develop a car ( as seen in the last years, before he had Nico and Bottas ) and he's a rude asshole driver with no interest in the health or wellbeing of other drivers ( like 2021 in Silverstone when he nearly killed Verstappen and it only occured to him after almost 10 min to ask if he's ok ) . He's only a cry Baby and a better suitable place for this drama Queen would be the next Kindergarten

[@brandonn1999]

Toto is openly showing he has no faith in Russell, with his constant max and kimi comments. This is not how you treat your drivers especially if they have been nothing but loyal to you.

[@Dream-Academy]

He's just fcking with Horner's head man.... George knows this.

[@gregoryf9299]

I don’t think so. George spends hours and days with Toto and we only see a few sentences of media release. Maybe there’s something there to keep pressure on George, but I think it’s smoke and mirrors to distract from who he really wants. Time will tell!

[@thebateman761]

Your contract "disappearing" because of that nepobaby is crazyyy, especially considering how their careers ended up

[@sheldoniusRex]

Which nepobaby? There are plenty to choose from.

[@7BD273]

​@@sheldoniusRex they mean Stroll. Prema signed George, and then Lawrence intervened...

[@sheldoniusRex]

@@7BD273 igotchu. Thanks. I rarely ever watch anything from the lower formulae.

[@AugmentedGravity]

@@sheldoniusRex The biggest of all time, aka Lanc Strol. Aka DOM FOK

[@hamza-chaudhry]

I personally wouldn't say Russell is generational. I think that word gets used too losely. He has pace, but so do a lot of drivers. And whilst his start to 2022 was good, the second half of it wasn't great, which he continued into 2023 (albeit he was quite unlucky in 2023). And I also think that Hamilton's really poor 2024 has distracted from Russell not having that great of a season.

[@RockSolitude]

"not having that great of a season" lmao what rubbish

[@abubakrba2696]

I’m sorry but you’re just flat out wrong here. Russell quite literally out scored Lewis in the second half of 2022 and beat him to a win in the sprint and race at Brazil. However, George was far too inconsistent and was thoroughly outclassed in 2023 by Lewis -- there’s no argument there. The fact of the matter is Russell has more than matched Lewis for pace over one lap during their time. Lewis has had the advantage in race pace however. My point in all this isn’t to say he’s generational but rather he’s a bloody quick driver that’s clearly world champion material given the car. His time will come.

[@abubakrba2696]

And I wouldn’t go as far as making the excuse for George that he was unlucky in 2023. He simply made too many mistakes. Often times it felt like he was overreaching instead of driving the car for what it is and maximizing it. Locked up going into Mirabeau in the rain at Monaco, costing him a podium. Hit the wall in Canada chasing Alonso, causing him to retire later on. Then the huge mistake in Singapore on the last lap. Lastly, he turned in on Max at Vegas. All of these mistakes were driver induced. If he can cut down on the errors he can win it all given the car.

[@ThaDoggo]

Max is generational, russel being in the same generation and not performing even close to verstappens level makes it impossible to call him generational and would be an idiotical take.

[@Evieleb44]

I agree! Let’s put the fact that Lewis did a lot of experiments for the team aside, George beat him in 2022. Lewis absolutely mopped the floor with him last year, with him finishing P3 while GR was all the way down in P8 I believe. This season just started and after this Miami GP there’s only 10 points between them. This last GP, Lewis didn’t do any experiments with the car and he dunked a whole 18sec on GR and fully outclassed him. In the sprint GR was pretty much no where to be seen and if not for Hams penalty he would have been further ahead. I’m excited to see where they finish at the end of the season ☺️

[@cnieuweboer]

Max was younger when he got into F1 then George. Max got his act together in 2018, that is about 3 years after he joined. And that was at an age where humans generally reach cognitive maturity. Besides being older when joining, George also spent more time in F1 then those forementioned 3 years. So it's a bit late for George to follow Max' path. Both George and Lando still get the "they are still so young, they'll improve in time" treatment, like they are teenagers. But that time is starting to run out... or has already ran out.

[@darshang1262]

Exactly not many are thinking about this

[@TommoOnYoutube]

I mean, that's totally fair. Line has to be drawn somewhere, time to deliver.

[@PlatapusPhucker]

I actually think, it isnt very fair comparison between Max and George, because Max made debut in solid midfielder and immediately start gaining experience to race under pressure, while George made his debut in deadlast backmarker and didnt experience racing under preassure, because.... well what pressure in racing against a literal cripple(and Latifi) miles behind everyone else?

[@darshang1262]

@@PlatapusPhucker he had occasional racing for example against Alonso at Austrian grand prix

[@darshang1262]

@@PlatapusPhucker Max was also with a teammate who didn't do well either

[@7BD273]

if the Verstappen deal doesn't work out for Mercedes, and Antonelli isn't ready yet, who would take that seat, knowing they could be dropped for a kid at any moment?! The fact Toto has been so loud about Antonelli could backfire on him massively.

[@invalid8774]

yeah thats why I dont see sainz in that car. Merc is just offering a 1+1 with team choice. Thats quite unattractive compared to Audis paycheck and 3 years. And Merc is not winning races any time soon.

[@jan.lotvall]

Valtteri might

[@brandonn1999]

Maybe Ocon

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Imagine Toto swipes Lawson from right under Red Bull's nose... 😅

[@Flamestryke-TV]

@@brandonn1999 LOL you are mental OCON would never get that seat

[@ruutti90]

If Carlos chooses Audi, Max stays at Red Bull, and Antonelli isn't ready after this year, I think the safest bet for Mercedes would be to offer a 1 year contract to Bottas again.

[@mikeoxlong5928]

Lol

[@jkliao6486]

Good one!

[@Lastname6955]

That's alot of ifs

[@ehrlichgesagt863]

He would rather retire he literally called out Merc for there terrible treatment. The only backup is pretty much Mick and they would rather put in a not even close Antonelli in for sure

[@user-manjotsingh]

I commented the same he should bring bottas back

[@selder_7]

That quote where Russell said Verstappen is the best driver at the moment is VERY telling, that’s praise he used to reserve for Hamilton when he knew that’s how to get along with Merc

[@jkbzz]

But it is true, Max is the best at the moment.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

A far cry from "THIS IS UNNACCEPTABLE!!!!!"

[@gamehuis]

George is fast over 1 lap, but is still not consistently fast enough over a race distance. He's a tier below Verstappen, Hamilton and Alonso. But that may still be fast enough if he's given the fastest car. After all, F1 is still a constructor's competition before anything else.

[@RockSolitude]

Not really, he's beating or at the very minimum matching Hamilton over a race, both in pace and on the H2H. People are so desperate to shit on George these days it's become a pathological need. Bend over backwards to try and argue anything against him, even retconning history. Max has proven that if he doesn't have the clear fastest car by some margin - and one that's been specifically set up for his very unique preferences at that - then he's going to be in the pack like everyone else.

[@The_MostHigh]

So if George ends up beating Hamilton 2-1 in seasons, is he still a tier below?

[@InquisitorLavellan]

​@The_MostHigh they will just argue that Hamilton sucks or something.

[@erdemeebilgee3584]

That's a big harsh, Russel I would say on his day is capable of matching and usurping any driver. I think he's a Jenson Button or Jean Alesi type driver.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

His race pace and tyre management could do with some work, I agree. But he's close, very close.

[@alvarorey9308]

George Russell looks like he's trying out for a new Terminator movie! 💀

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Ironically it's Toto who would in fact be the best Terminator.

[@mvd4436]

​@@TommoOnKZbin Russell won the F2 title in his rookie year vs the most stacked F2 field ever (Lando and Albon were in it). He won 7 races, the same amount as Leclerc did in his F2 career. He is elite. And always has been. Russell made Hamilton expendable. Hamilton hasn't been offered more than a 1+1 since 2021.

[@MeYou-yz2yz]

His face is CG.

[@guilhermebrancher9016]

for me, what this BIG interest from Toto on Max means is that Merc does not fully believe in George to step up nad be an unquestionable World Championship winner, but mainly, considering where they are now, that George can help them build a championship winning car...

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Yeah, it's hard not to interpret it that way.

[@xenteko7249]

Or he's just trying to stir shit with Red Bull. I don't think George is as good as Max, but he's laughably underrated purely because people can't separate their personal dislike of him from his ability. Anyone who rates Lewis as one of the GOATs of F1, while saying Russell isn't that great, is a fucking imbecile.

[@alexherman77]

If Toto thought George was the future he wouldn’t need Verstappen or Antonelli. Kinda says it all tbh.

[@7BD273]

if Ferrari thought Leclerc was the future... and then we saw what happened. if Mclaren thought Lando was the future...

[@Amm17ar]

Ah yes, because you only need 1 driver to race in F1 and win constructors.

[@gameofender4463]

Didn’t realise F1 was a one-driver team.

[@Drakewyrm]

He is right and you know it. Mclaren and Ferrari jumped on the opportunity who presented itself. Toto is actively looking for a a driver who will surpass Russell.

[@owl_lxvi]

And even goes back to the year 2007, when Ron Dennis thought Lewis was the future he would not need Alonso (who was then the defending champion looking to get his third straight title after leaving Renault); this might be a stupid comparison on my end but kind of makes sense

[@randomguy4616]

If Max did signs for Mercedes pls for the love of God someone ask Toto about Max's wikipedia record 🤣🤣🤣

[@aoife1122]

It will be part of of Toto's sales pitch, "I'll promise to bookmark your Wiki page!" 😛

[@omarabdullah83]

If George can go almost toe to toe with Lewis as he is now, i don't see why he can't lead the team forward. On the other hand, Max is in the form of his life (pls don't get better Max) and the reality is that no one wants to miss the opportunity of having him. If I was Toto, I'd be happy to have him but it wouldn't be the end of the world if i didn't because George is pretty good and they need to sort out their car first and foremost.

[@ehrlichgesagt863]

The problem is he isnt that young anymore and still have to many mistakes in him

[@jkbzz]

Can George really go toe to toe with Lewis in a car that has no issues whatsoever over the course of an entire season? Can he? I think George is better than Bottas and faster than Rosberg but I don't honestly see him beating Lewis in a title winning car. So far, not yet.

[@mvd4436]

@@snowrabbit9558 If George wasn't the one, Hamilton would have been offered a 5 year deal in 2021. He has only been offered 1+1's. Russell won the F2 title in his rookie year vs the most stacked F2 field ever (Lando and Albon were in it). He won 7 races, the same amount as Leclerc did in his F2 career. He is elite and always has been. And made Hamilton expendable. Hamilton hasn't been offered more than a 1+1 since 2021.

[@sharathnathan6339]

​@jkbzz please don't tell me you believe lewis has had issues with the car all season and that's why he's been losing out to George??

[@abubakrba2696]

@@ironbutterflyrusted If not for the pitstop blunder by Mercedes in 2020 he would’ve definitely won that race. The dark cynic in me thinks they intentionally sabotaged Russell to preserve Hamilton’s image. How great would it look for Lewis that a young gun in just his second season stepped into a car he’s never driven and won right away? Certainly would’ve given more fuel to the “Lewis the car merchant” critics. Anyways, I digress.

[@noahreese4702]

Tommo's finally back lets gooo

[@TommoOnYoutube]

[@fitfuzzballgaming]

As a George Russell fan I feel qualified to speak on this George is a solid pair of hands for the Mercedes car and could see him being a world champion but it would require him to find another gear.

[@Robalexe]

Toto should trust Russell (and Antonelli in the future too). George is more than capable of winning titles in the best car. He's much better than someone like Damon Hill, who bottled the championship twice in the best car, and was fortunate to have a rookie teammate and Schumi in his first season in the Ferrari rebuilding project in 1996. Then Jacques Villeneuve was so close to being beaten by Schumi in an incredible Williams in 1997 too. I think George wins all 4 seasons in those insane '94-'97 Williams by a good margin. Everyone back then knew how much better the Williams were compared to Schumi's Benettons and Ferraris. The main reason Newey left Williams was because he was being driven mad by serial bottler Damon Hill losing titles in his rocketships.

[@joseferreol2353]

If Mercedes had a car comparable to Red Bull's in 2024, we wouldn't be talking about other drivers, except for Antonelli joining Williams. The fact that Toto is talking about other drivers is why these conversations are happening. Mercedes needs to concentrate on building a winning car. If they do, they won't have issues with their driver lineup, as the entire paddock will be eager to secure a seat with Mercedes. There is no Guarantee Antonelli will be as good as Russell. 2025 is coming, something is got to give, time will tell if Toto was right or wrong. If he fails, history will judge him as the guy who signed Hamilton, nonthing more:like Helmut Marko did for RB.

[@donladplaysgames4036]

Ah mate, you left South Africa a week early, was down in Cape Town this weekend for a wedding and yesterday (Sunday) afternoon a mate of mine that was at the wedding saw Bottas at a wine farm where they were doing a tasting

[@davidmaslenka5940]

Just put mick Schumacher in there and see where it goes …. They literally got nothing to loose on his wage is cheap so why not for a gap year

[@charmainechin9249]

he could start crashing again like at Haas

[@billhoult3262]

Cos he's worse than Antonelli? If you're going for a punt on an unproven young driver pick the generational talent over the nepo kid.

[@selder_7]

Merc junior, win F3, wins F2 - future is looking great. Then: stuck at Williams in some of its worst ever form for 3 years, gets one race in the Merc seat and just misses out on pole then would’ve won the race but gets screwed by the pit team then doesn’t get a podium due to a slow puncture, joins Mercedes right as they fall off, Hamilton still at the team and still highly driven by revenge after Masi robbed him of a title, Hamilton now leaving but there’s already the next Merc Jr that Wolff is eyeing up who got to skip F3 and might get to skip Williams as they tout him as the next Verstappen, then also there’s the possibility that they’ll move heaven and earth to get actual Verstappen in the car. If I was Russell I’d be incensed by how badly it’s all gone, he’d have thought he’d have a title by now. It’s tricky because his level is all about how high you rate Hamilton, and whenever he beats Hamilton there’s either an excuse (sometimes legitimately) or people dismiss it as Hamilton being washed. His mistakes are more high profile than his successes as well. My faith is shaken with Russell, I’m not sure he has that next step in him to be a great that him and Norris and (slightly) Leclerc are all looking for

[@rollandrus2751]

You seem to really like that GTA San Andreas menu sound 😅

[@user-hu9qg1yg4l]

As a huge george russell fan since he joined the sport, I can confidently say that he is treated way harsher on his mistakes than others because he is not as popular as leclerc or alonso. He has shown his potential from early on and now he has proven he is world champion material. If mercedes short out their problems I am confident that he can deliver.

[@gameofender4463]

Exactly.

[@jonathannovak2881]

I'm sorry but thats bs. Leclerc gets haunted for every single mistake he makes. And if you ask any conventional fan of F1 or media person out there about who they think is the most crash happy driver they would all say Leclerc. Leclerc gets slandered for crashes or mistakes that are 3 years back.

[@user-hu9qg1yg4l]

​@@jonathannovak2881 I don't think so. Leclerc is very popular even outside the f1 community which is why you hear more people talking about his mistakes but he doesn't get heavily criticised for them

[@JensenR12]

Yeah as another fellow George fan I can agree it does feel like he gets shat on a few too many times for mistakes whilst more popular drivers wouldn’t, the lads definitely world champion material, he’s even beaten and is beating a world champion, so once Merc sort their stuff out I think he can definitely be on top

[@rajeevkumar9546]

Tbh Russel is a bit overrated, Norris seems like a much more complete driver than him...lol he gets away with his rookie mistakes all the time , but everyone has started to notice it now as it's becoming more frequent

[@elnarradordeorquideas7645]

Someone that knows George better than any of us is Toto. He jas the inside info, he has the data and know the person. If he really thinks George is good to win , Toto will not be looking to attract Max to the team. Why would be looking for another number one if he already have one on George. Unfurtunately he is not a number one driver and is not at the level of Max or even Lewis. He is not garbage either but the kid has to much ego to recognize it or just want to believe it so it may become a reality.

[@paperplane-db8qf]

Because he wants the best driver lineup. Because Mercedes has no chance of beating Ferrari in the constructors title when they have Hamilton and Leclerc as a driver lineup, and Mercedes just have George and some crappy number 2.

[@aquibriazahmed1212]

Tommo, I really feel for George, he is at the right place, but at the very wrong time. Hope, we get to see the best of him and Mercedes soon.

[@thomassf3]

I'm actually interested in what happens next for Fred Vesti - showed brilliant pace and consistency last year, not quite enough for the title sure, but he has undoubted talent, yet his place in the junior team seems like it's not really doing much for him. Also, still feel bad for Felipe Drugovich! All the talk about Liam Lawson, even though he beat him by 100 or so points in his championship year, but he hasn't been mentioned once by anyone, poor bloke

[@englishmaninfrance661]

I agree , Sainz would fit great at Mzrcedes

[@Baxteen1]

How was your holiday here in south Africa my guy? You picked such a great time. Bottas was here after China and we had no load shedding

[@abalakrishnan4152]

The fact that there could next year be a driver in F1 that is three months younger than me is flipping insane!

[@noduj]

I want to see Max & Russell, that would be so entertaining. Russell is the only driver who doesn't back down against Max, i want to see that.

[@Mr.Corridor]

Finally a video! nah hope you had a great break!

[@AmineKouki]

Gran Turismo menu theme playing in the background

[@charonder]

Tommo sorry this is off topic but I'm dying to know - what's the noise when you change the frame?

[@joshuabolton1549]

gta san anderas

[@Comrade_Jason]

Doggo must be very happy that you're home.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

He gave us a bit of sass on the first day, but he's forgiven us now.

[@MrDufDaddy]

I personally think George is over-rated and outside of having a car that gaps the field like the RB19/20 I don't think he is Champion material. Maybe this horrible version of the Merc is skewing my POV, but even in '22 when the Merc was competitive and he was scoring P3's he was rarely in the mix in those races. Sure, he's outpacing Lewis, but Lewis has checked out on this Mercedes program last year already and I don't think he has ever recovered mentally from the 2021 season finale. Put George up against the other top drivers and who are you definitively taking him over? Me, I'd take: Leclerc, Lando, Max, Alonso before I'd pick George to be a #1 I think he's on the same level as Sergio, Carlos and Oscar (provided I'm giving OP a few more experience years). If you were reshuffling the entire field George might be your 5th-7th best option to lead a team. I also think George would struggle to separate himself from Ocon and Albon (maybe even Gasly) if given the same equipment. George is a good driver but with the talent pool in F1 and coming, he doesn't really standout and probably the only reason he is even in this conversation is because our English SkySports pundits who can't stop fawning over him.

[@gameofender4463]

L take. Norris is probably the most overrated driver on the grid. Lando’s probably on Alex’s level while George is on Max’s level. Fernando would get retired by George at the same team. And the fact you don’t think George is better than Gasly etc shows you have zero idea what you’re talking about.

[@kart3347]

​@gameofender4463 wrong. I think Russell is clear of Ocon, Gasly and Albon but Norris is not overrated. Norris was only one point behind Leclerc and Alonso, who had good cars for the whole season. Norris is 3rd best driver on the grid, only behind Max and Fernando.

[@gameofender4463]

@@kart3347 Norris is not top three on the grid. That’s ridiculous. He’s probably top eight at best tbh. Both Mercs, Ferraris, Max, Fernando are ahead and it’s debatable between Norris and Perez. As Perez can be relied upon to get the win when it’s available.

[@kart3347]

@gameofender4463 tf are you yapping about 💀 if Norris was in red bull he would've 100% dominated Australian grand prix (which Perez couldn't have), at least backed up max in p2 in china, which yet again Perez couldn't, wait a couple years when McLaren are fighting for world championships and you'll be proven wrong with how good lando really is

[@gameofender4463]

@@kart3347 He wouldn’t of. China, maybe sure. But he wouldn’t of won in Australia with the car Perez had. As Perez allegedly had damage on his car in Australia. Lando hasn’t proven he’s on Max’s level yet. George and Charles have proven that they both can be.

[@Alislug]

You forgot the mick situation aswell. Toto also wants to give him a seat but there are many other options. Imo theyll sign mick on 1 yr contracts like valterri and and kimi in the Williams. once hes ready mick will be back in reserve and kimi will take over

[@rrkmac635]

Very well put Tommo. Very well put. Agree completely.

[@7BD273]

Russell's the most underrated driver on the grid at the moment, whether people want to admit that or not... He's a top tier qualifier, and his race pace and tire managememt have improved massively in the last couple of years. He's made mistakes that were high profile (so did others, yet they are forgotten fast, and met with much less hate) but his speed shouldn't ever be questioned. If Mercedes can give him a competent car, he'll win it all for them. Meanwhile Wolff so far is proving that he can't lead that team as a strong TP in crisis. His comments in the media are only damaging and embarrassing the reputation of the team. He needs to learn when he has to shut his mouth, and work in silence

[@TheFeelhigh]

Stay deluded indeed 🤡

[@7BD273]

and keep in mind, while Leclerc, Norris, Albon are teammates with Sainz, and two rookies, Russell is keeping up with the statistical goat. in that guy's backyard... that alone should tell you he's one to look out for.

[@TheFeelhigh]

@@7BD273 because the car is shit and Lewis has nothing to prove to race for 8th position etc... you lack so much understanding, its cringe

[@gameofender4463]

@@TheFeelhigh You’re just making up excuses.

[@7BD273]

​@@TheFeelhighso he enjoys getting beaten by Russell every week? When the media started questioning whether Ferrari have made the right choice, he sure seemed to have taken that to heart... Also, the car was good enough for a podium in Vegas, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain, yet Hamilton was nowhere near the fight.

[@MihaiKrieger]

Antonelli should first be given time to mature and prove something in f2. This pressure won't do anyone any good.

[@roberthawes8463]

How was your trip to South Africa? We love having more tourists visiting our beautiful country.

[@judethedude96]

This is a positive comment for the KZbin algorithm

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Jude gets it, thank you dude Jude.

[@klavsbajars7666]

Another Tommo video, making my day once again

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Too kind Klavsbajars!

[@hansvanbrandwijk2803]

The other day I was reading an article about Russell. It said that he measures 6 ft 10. That sounded a little bit preposterous to me. Then I found it was about Bill Russel, an American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.[4] Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. At the University of San Francisco, Russell led the San Francisco Dons to consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956.[5] He was named NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and captained the gold medal-winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics.

[@Gmm617]

Id love to see Russell & Albon at the silver arrows.

[@Thunder-vm2ug]

The reason why more and more I think it will be Kimi in that seat is because it is too big of a risk for Sainz to go to Mercedes since George knows the car and team and getting owned by George might make think Audi second guess bringing him.

[@francoisemoore6336]

I’m going to get the book. Love George, I want to understand how he thinks, etc

[@IHunterF1]

that spa p2 performance doesnt get talked abt eenough imo. Especially being that the race would have been wet as well, could have been an all time performance being that williams was the 3rd worst car on the grid

[@gene7887]

Feels like you could easily add to this list. Max is more likely to leave with Newey gone but he could very well stay. Odds are Kimi goes to the Williams seat this season so easy to keep him there next year. Sainz is a maybe but could wind up at RB or Sauber/Audi. If those three are in other seats next year, there's one more obvious choice for Toto: Ocon. He'd do anything to get away from that dog of an Alpine car (not having to team with Gasly would be an added bonus too, I bet) and he's already been a Mercedes reserve, plus he's got the individual connection with Toto. He's probably the most likely candidate to be the Bottas to Russell's Hamilton: good, can maybe sneak a win or pole here and there, but not a threat in the WDC.

[@mvd4436]

Russell got a win and 19 top 5's in the zero pod in 2022. But then he had a sophomore slump so everyone cuts him down. And even in his slump, he matched Hamilton in qualifying. He gets cut down to prop up Hamilton.

[@sanjayvallabh]

Thanks for the video. This highlights what the entirety of all F1 fans globally are thinking about and SAYING quietly!

[@LeTon75]

We all know that Georgie Boy is happy with the Merc he’s driving atm, and the company car is pretty sweet to….but we also know he’s a proud Brit and very patriotic, and you can see a sadness in his eyes that he’s not racing for a British F1 team. I think deep deep down George really wants go back to Williams, linking up with his old buddy Albon and help rebuild the team to is former glory and achieving race wins by 2035. He’s also stated many times since leaving Williams that he misses the very rare 1994 Renault Williams Clio hot hatch he got to drive.

[@chrismadz7338]

RE: The potential Russell - Bottas battle if Lewis would of retired, which he would not have done. You do remember Bahrain 2020 with Russell standing in for Hamilton and proceeded to whoop Bottas in his first go in the car.

[@waltersheens1087]

Nico Rosberg noticed when he was live commentary on last race, George's head was way leaning over heavily in the corners....towards the end of the race. This could be an injury but it could also mean he's not putting in the work to train his neck.....we don't know. It would be nice if Max get's some competition....Fernando and mabye Lando, Charles are the only ones that currently could race Max if they had the car. Imo Fernando would be the only one that could make Max work real hard.

[@jacoolivier9244]

This is not a dilemma. He is beating Hamilton in the same car, which a lot of people is saying is the best of all time. He is HUGELY underrated and killed all his teammates and previous Formula's. There is no dilemma, people are making this up. He's going to smoke anyone coming into that seat. His unforced errors are because he doesn't have the fastest car like Hamilton had all the years. Hamilton frequently qualies p18 and finishes like p9 (doesn't crash but he is SLOW).

[@ramipennanen1771]

Helllo Tommo, are going to do a redesign on the blue Ferrari when it comes out?

[@Rangifulla]

In Georgous, we trust.

[@f1greenlight]

With Totos public woowing of Max, I think its both for intentionally rubbing up Horner and stressing him since he has caused Toto alot of stress in the past. Also, its not against George getting Max in a Merc. Even George has said it will be stupid for a Team not to get Max now if available bcoz he is killing it at the moment. Looking at the Top 4 and even 5 Driver lineups , for the constructor, you need a strong Team. George and Lewis have managed to put 2 seasons of lemon cars in 2nd and 3rd. So, Toto and Mercedes are ensuring they're are competitive. The field is so tight and margins minute. Kimi inclusion in the conversation is bcoz as Toto mentioned, Mercedes is on a Rebuilding phase. They've "given" up on these Regs, my opinion. Therefore bringing Antonelli now means he gains experience without pressure. So, the're two options for Toto and Team. If they can get the car working and competitive this season and next. Max is next to George. If not, Antonelli and George are the future and are part of the rebuilding and recruiting long-term project. As you said, Max had his fair share of learning, crashing and refining his skills. George and Kimi will do the same during the Rebuilding. When they're ready with a car, they'll be a formidable pairing. I back George. With all his mistakes and crashes, I like his attitude of always getting up and learning. Take Singapore, he came back in Qatar and races after and nailed it. He is a fighter and accepts his mistakes and move on. He learned that from his Junior career he said.

[@vytskatm]

Russel is amazing, I think in Mercedes he can beat anyone, so no matter what Toto decides he’s going to be there. He’s is growing every race. And he is perfect for Mercedes. I think Sainz might be up for a one + one year deal in Mercedes, I don’t really see him in the back of the grid for next year. But yeah… we will see… 😃

[@lowstandarts894]

Russel took the "torch" in his frist year in mercs, turns out #Blessed can't do shit with a car that is a 1.5 seconds a lap faster than it's closest competition.

[@ferenchorvath6392]

I think George might be having a problem come the start of 2026. With Kimi on the rise and the uncertainty about Max's future (and Toto being quite vocal about Max lately) it could be that he will need to look elsewhere. Question being: where would he be a good fit? Together with Alonso in the Aston Martin in 2026 would be awesome. They seem to get along fine, and a Brit combined with a British brand is always a good sight. But as long as Lance is glued to the Aston seat, George's options might be limited..

[@charlesjmouse]

Merc's two major problems: 1) How are they going to secure the services of any decent driver when everybody knows Kimi is a shoe-in for that seat in the near future? 2) Merc is replicating the trajectory of 2010's McLaren and unless they get their act together very soon will be looking at a similar 10 years in the doldrums... the difference being 'car manufacturer teams' are only ever in it for the marketing, so if this happens I predict Merc will abandon F1.

[@zrtpolis]

If I was toto, I would have gotten Hulkenberg for 1 year. German driver for a German team, clear number 2 who has great pase. Mercedes get an extra year F2 for Antonelli and Hulk finally gets a chance of a podium. But it's already too late for this plan

[@mermils]

I really liked Bottas at Mercedes, and especially after see the 2022 regs thinked that they should have kept him for 2 years, and maybe they could have found some way to fix the mercedes, with 2 drivers going the same way, without one wanting to prove that he could replace the number 1 driver. They needed stability for develop the car well, but they get sometimes a Nico Lewis 2.0 I dont say GR doesnt deserve to be at Merc but i think just that he got in at wrong time.

[@jamesmccaul2945]

I like George, he is more straightforward than Hamilton whose insecurities mean there are constant excuses and rationalisations when things aren’t going perfectly.

[@r7coo]

Like every f1 driver who has walked this planet 🤔

[@Jackster31]

You’re having a laugh aren’t you🤡 Russell is no leader. Merc will find out soon. Makes too many mistakes in a season…isn’t constant enough. Lewis doesn’t care he is beaten in qualifying in the midfield for p7/8 by a driver who celebrates those ‘victories’ as if WDCs. In racepace he usually comes upshort to Lewis. When podiums were possible (last 2 seasons) Lewis schooled the boy. Oh yeah the win in 22. Only happened because Verstappen terrorized his way passed Lewis first lap😂. Have a seat and learn about F1😉 Oh yeah and Max would be an idiot if he went to Merc in 2025…that team is done….besides that he likes winning races in a rocketship with 0 competition…gtfo.

[@rickyspanish4792]

ugh yes he's so whiny!! I feel he's one of the more toxic ppl on the grid

[@610luna]

Russell can definitely lead the team. The problem is the damn car. And George definitely gets criticized more harshly bc he’s not as popular. It’s ridiculous.

[@rajeevkumar9546]

Lol..Lead to the barricades

[@jkbzz]

Yea ryt

[@abubakrba2696]

Assuming Max doesn’t make the move to Mercedes -- which I think the chances are slim -- Toto should think of signing a placeholder number 2 under George and put Kimi in a Williams to develop. While Williams don’t look great currently, I believe they’ll be on an upwards trajectory in due time -- I have faith in James Vowles to turn it around. I think a reunion with Bottas would be ideal.

[@bjs7442]

Everyone is on an Antonelli hype train but my view of his F2 races so far are he is good but nothing exceptional. It is early days yet but Mercedes need to see a lot more of Antonelli first. I dont think George is consistent enough to lead for Mercedes. His character and being prone to errors undermines his credibity. On his day he can be very very good but too may poor perfomrnaces for me. He is no Lando for example and yet he beat Lando in F2 but it shows F2 is not always a good benchmark as it depends what team you drive for. Also lando has improved year on year. Has George?

[@Robalexe]

Mercedes have seen a whole lot more from Antonelli than any of us have

[@bjs7442]

@@Robalexe Valid point. I was giving my opinion as he missed out F3 and so they have only seen low level competition.

[@Robalexe]

@@bjs7442 Merc have also seen a lot from Kimi in the F1 sim and real F1 cars in tests, which we haven't. When a whole-ass enterprise treats a junior as the next coming of Verstappen, they have reason to do and think so. We rarely see academy drivers treated like this by their F1 team.

[@bjs7442]

@@Robalexe whole-ass? Dont know what that means. Lets hope Mercedes faith is rewarded. I will watch with interest.

[@Robalexe]

@@bjs7442 It's a figure of speech. The -ass is an emphasizer.

[@Evieleb44]

I’m not really a fan but I like George and I kind of feel for him right now. I’m trying to imagine how he must feel hearing how Toto badly wants Antonelli and how he’s been courting Max - I’m then wondering where George falls into his plans. If I was George I’d start speaking to other teams, just to keep my options open. He’s overall a good driver so another team would be lucky to have him. Maybe he could be the reason why Williams gets back to their glory days, with the new leadership under James Vowles. And I could also see him in Aston Martin, preferably alongside Alonso but we know papa Stroll is not letting his son go

[@blackcharizard3807]

I think George is ready to be a no.1 driver at Mercedes and I think the only driver that can push him further to be better is himself testing his pace to rb, Ferrari, McLaren and alonso once that merc is quick again and I think the driver to partner him for 2025 is Mick Schumacher, he was signed to the Mercedes academy in 2024, hes been on the simulator to help Mercedes to develop the car better, hes also currently the reserve driver for Mercedes and hes currently in alpine for WEC. Put mick in the merc to develop his skills then I bet George and Mick will be pushing each other to be better, if mick doesn't get a Mercedes seat or Williams for 2025 I can see Alpine signing him.

[@ianrall]

What were you doing in SA? And why didn't we have a beer?

[@Shocker99]

Cheeky GTA noise at 1:14 ;)

[@Phantom-mg5cg]

8:22 I think Alpine could try to get Antonelli. Red Bull could also always get a very talented driver with a seat at Alpha Tauri. If necessary, I think they would kick Tsunoda or Ricciardo. To be safe Mercedes needs to offer him a seat in F1.

[@austinten9421]

PR63 will end up driving for a mid field team and be the driver than never was.

[@natelecarde962]

I would love to see Carlos go to Mercedes instead of Sauber, mainly because that means Zane Maloney can have a chance at the team. Everyone talking about Kimi but Zane is great as well.

[@antonysnook4932]

George Russell is literally out racing and out driving Lewis so technically he is the team leader. Lewis is just moaning and winning and waiting for the end of the season so he can go to Ferrari. So Lewis has no long term interest in the Mercedes team.

[@spammus1]

The driver market would look so much different is Masi didn't rob Hamilton of the title he (just as much as Verstappen) deserved. It's crazy how much that mistake changed the sport going forward.

[@ricky_876]

All the other drivers are making mistakes, because they are over driving the car. Max and his car is ONE

[@RockSolitude]

Can we please stop over hyping Kimi Antonelli FOR FIVE FREAKING MINUTES!? He has yet to complete a single season in a more serious/top end Formula and so far isn't posting results in F2. People going senseless over this kid acting like it's a foregone conclusion that he's already the next Max Verstappen when that simply isn't the case and that he deserves the Mercedes seat already (as opposed to his more experienced and successful F2 compatriots) because... why again?

[@Robalexe]

What do you expect from a 17 year old in F2 who skipped F3? And does anything below F3 mean anything to you then? Do you know better how good he is than the people who are actually working with him and experts?

[@xenteko7249]

@@Robalexe Anything below F2 doesn't really mean shit. The level of regional F4 is trash. Antonelli winning in the dominant prema team means jack shit.

[@Robalexe]

@@xenteko7249 Lol

[@RockSolitude]

If Sainz doesn't spring for Mercedes then I think Mercedes will be very limited in who they can get to fill that seat. Kimi will not be ready, nor experienced enough, assuming he even deserves an F1 seat in the first place (which he doesn't, it has to be earned). Toto very publicly going bananas over Kimi like he's the next Max Verstappen will handicap them. They will either have to try and entice Albon, or go for someone else currently on the grid (or even Mick Schumacher if all else fails). Or alternatively try another rookie from F2 who's been more successful and deserving of a chance (like Zane Maloney). I can see a possibility where Esteban Ocon ends up at Mercedes on a 1+1 because he's desperate to get out of Alpine and he has a relationship with Mercedes already.

[@tylerensminger]

The Hamilton fans on Twitter would say he can't be trusted (I've seen a few call him "woody") however, I think he's been decent Lewis and perhaps can be the leader of the team next year

[@robertcarr4172]

This is Silly. George has been a great Rival to Lewis. He basically has had the hardest job in f1 for the last few years. The guy is good enough to be a multiple f1 champ. So where did you go to in SA? Welcome to our beautiful country.

[@hidden_name7469]

Ad ends at 4:47

[@Leon-vx7oe]

This F2 season is so important. If Bearman and Antonelli get beaten by , for example Malony , then that would be pretty bad for F2 . Because that means that F2 is more or less useless

[@-._.-._.-Sully-._.-._.-]

Honestly if Mercedes doesn’t find a way to get Max I think they should put Kimi in the second Mercedes seat. That will give George time to be the number one while accepting Kimi will probably have a learning curb. It would give Kimi a good target to try and match without the pressure of being the number one driver off the bat and give George the chance to show he can be a team leader. In the long run as Kimi matures things could get tense between the two but I feel as if that is something that could be dealt with when the time comes. I don’t think Carlos is Mercedes best choice nor Carlos’s best choice as he would just be a stop gap.

[@Scyths1]

I don't understand, he was forecast a podium.

[@Fiasco3]

Russell needs to be the number one driver, he doesn't function as a number two. Mercedes would do well to focus on Russell and get a good support driver. I'm pretty sure that Russell would click up another gear.

[@kaylanlayton]

Can’t drop George he’s the face of the team now it will be antonelli

[@danmaloney9215]

I think goerge is gonna be mr mercedes for at least another 3 seasons. I personally think he often gets overlooked when we performs well. I would love to see Alex jump into the merc alongside him or Carlos if he struggles to get a seat elsewhere. Antonelli would benefit from an extra season in f2 imo

[@naveenvigneshr3075]

I have one doubt if max is coming to merc and they are preparing kimi where will george go🤔

[@kieferclarkf1674]

Call me crazy, but I really think there is a possibility that Toto signs either Albon or Ocon to a 2 year deal. I’m not sure Toto would want to to sign Sainz, just for him to jump ship in a year or two to Audi. Russell with Ocon or Albon is a solid, reliable lineup. Unless Antonelli starts having a great year in F2, I think it’ll be another year in F2 in 2025 for him. Sainz will be in Hinwil with Hulk, I just can’t see any other possibility.