Rosberg Advises Toto Wolff to Not Jump the Gun on Bottas-Russell Mercedes Swap
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Motorsports: FIA Formula One World Championship 2014, Grand Prix of Brazil, #6 Nico Rosberg (GER, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team), Toto Wolff (AUT, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team), (Photo by Hoch Zwei/Corbis via Getty Images)
The 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg has admitted that replacing Valtteri Bottas with George Russell would be entertaining, but Mercedes should not do it.
The F1 paddock has been abuzz with news of a seat at Mercedes swapping hands at the end of the season. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas has struggled at the start of the season with just one pole in six races.
The Bottas-Russell swap seems inevitable with every passing race, but the former world champion believes that Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff should think before making the move.
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Rosberg acknowledges the fact that it would excite and entertain the fans to see someone else in the second Mercedes seat to mount an actual challenge against Lewis Hamilton. According to Rosberg, Russell’s promotion to a top team would be great for fans.
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“It’s not something I think he should do”: Rosberg to Toto Wolff
According to Planetf1, Rosberg believes Russell is a big talent and will have a brilliant future but he does not think he should replace Valtteri Bottas in the second Mercedes just yet.
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SUZUKA, JAPAN – OCTOBER 09: Nico Rosberg of Germany and Mercedes GP gets a hug from Mercedes GP non-executive chairman Niki Lauda, and is congratulated by Mercedes GP Executive Director Toto Wolff after winning the race and the Mercedes GP team winning the constructors championship during the Formula One Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on October 9, 2016, in Suzuka. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
“I think from a British perspective, you can be really excited about the future because you have two extremely talented up-and-coming drivers. You’ve got Lando Norris and George Russell. Russell, of course, being a Mercedes driver.
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“Certainly, [for] Toto Wolff… he’s going to be thinking about it very, very carefully. It’s difficult to know which way he’s going to go. It’s not something I think he should do,” said Rosberg.
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Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg (left) shakes hands with Lewis Hamilton as he celebrates winning the Formula One world championship during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi. (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)
Russell could push Hamilton harder than Bottas does: Rosberg
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Rosberg feels that Williams driver Russell could push Hamilton harder than the Finn Valtteri Bottas.
“From a fan perspective it would be interesting to have a change and to have someone new in that second car alongside Lewis,” he added.
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“Someone who is really going to give Lewis a run for his money in the same team. A young guy who can replace Lewis as No 1 driver in the future at Mercedes,” said Rosberg.
What do you think? Will Mercedes sign Russell in 2022? Comment below to let us know.
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