Wolff: 'Russell had the pace to race Verstappen at the front'
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
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Kada Sárközi joined GPblog as an editor ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season. He graduated with a BA in Sports Journalism in the UK and has covered Grands Prix and other F1 events live.
Toto Wolff believes George Russell had the pace to compete against Max Verstappen for victory in Baku.
Our first analysis showed that we were within a tenth of Max in [terms of] pure performance.- Toto Wolff
George Russell on the podium in Azerbaijan - Photo: RacePictures
Starting from fifth place on the grid, the British driver crossed the finish line in second place.
"It's always a bit optimistic to say that he could have given Max a hard time," Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff began in Baku on Sunday.
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Russell eventually finished around 14 and a half seconds behind the four-time world champion.
"But our first analysis showed that we were within a tenth of Max in [terms of] pure performance."
"So I think, yes, it would have been a race at the front, at least.
"Whether it would have been enough for a win, I don't know, but the car was good on both tyres and his pace was impressive," the Austrian explained.
Russell finishes second after dealing with illness
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The Mercedes driver skipped media day on Thursday because of his illness, but was already sitting in the car on Friday.
"I am really happy to be back on the podium. It's been a tough run of races recently, and I also have not felt well this weekend," the Brit stated.
"That made today even more challenging than it could have been, so I am very pleased to finish second. I was pretty glad when I saw the chequered flag!"
Starting fifth, Russell passed Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson, then overcut Carlos Sainz.
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In the standings, the Mercedes driver remains in fourth place, 33 points behind the defending world champion.
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