"I'm learning new stuff about him"- George Russell 'surprised' with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff's ‘great driving skills’

George Russell said that he was “surprised” with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s “great driving skills”. The surprise came when the pair tried out ice rallying during a recent promotional event for the team.

Since joining the Silver Arrows earlier this year, Russell says he’s learning “new stuff” about his mentor and boss. Speaking on the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast, the Briton said:

"We did an ice driving event at the start of this year in Austria with a load of sponsors. The day finished at six o'clock, and Toto and I stayed until nine. It was pitch black, but we had lights on this little rally car. He was doing some laps, I was a passenger."

"I was pretty surprised at the commitment and pace he was showing. He probably went off a few more times than I did, but the pace was pretty strong. So, I'm learning new stuff about him."

Prior to joining Mercedes, Toto Wolff was a professional racing driver. Wolff also worked as a driving instructor for many years at the Red Bull ring before changing careers as a professional investor.

In the past, Wolff has shown off his impressive driving skills against several Mercedes F1 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas. While his performances were never on par with those drivers, they have nevertheless drawn praise.

George Russell “intrigued” by Toto Wolff’s involvement in technical aspects of F1

Apart from his impressive driving skills, Toto Wolff’s knowledge and involvement in the technical aspects of F1 has also impressed George Russell.

Speaking on the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast, the Briton revealed that he was “intrigued” by how well Wolff understood technical issues. He said:

"It's been really intriguing for me to see how Toto is involved on the technical front. Firstly, I never quite knew how good his technical knowledge was, but now he is fully involved in all of these technical meetings."

"He's really trying to push the whole team and he's a racer at heart."

Despite lacking an engineering background, Toto Wolff has always been fully involved in the team’s technical decision making.