Wolff: Russell had ‘no systems left’ but still took P3

George Russell's impressive podium at the Bahrain Grand Prix came despite his Mercedes W16 experiencing a cascade of technical failures, team principal Toto Wolff has revealed.

The British driver's performance becomes even more remarkable in light of these newly disclosed challenges.

Complete system breakdown

Russell was briefly under investigation by FIA stewards for opening his DRS outside designated zones, but Wolff explained this was just one manifestation of widespread system failures affecting the car.

"The brake-by-wire failed suddenly, and then it took a while to find the settings to kind of reset it,"

Wolff told Motorsport.com and other media outlets after the race.

When asked specifically which systems were compromised, Wolff's response was stark:

"The whole lot."

The team feared they would lose Russell's entire dashboard display, which would have left him without access to crucial buttons and settings.

Despite these obstacles, Russell managed his race masterfully.

"Unbelievable drive"

Wolff expressed genuine admiration for Russell's performance under such difficult circumstances, particularly while defending against McLaren's Lando Norris in the closing stages.

"Him managing the system coming in and out while having Norris behind him. It's just an unbelievable drive, to be honest,"

Wolff said.

The Mercedes team principal compared the brake-by-wire failure to a road car's power steering suddenly failing. Russell had to constantly adjust between corners where the system worked and where it didn't.

"Taking the soft for such a long time was also created between managing and then attacking when he needed to,"

Wolff added, highlighting Russell's tire management skills alongside his technical adaptability.

FIA decision

Russell ultimately escaped penalty for the DRS incident.

The FIA confirmed that connection issues between the automated DRS activation system and the car had failed due to problems with a timing loop provided by an external party.

"Therefore the FIA authorised manual activation of the DRS in accordance with Article 22.1 h)," the official FIA document stated.

Wolff had noted there was precedent for such incidents, mentioning a similar case from 2018 that resulted in no further action.

The system "opened and closed" without providing Russell any competitive advantage, according to Wolff.

Technical investigation continues

Mercedes is still investigating the root cause of the problems. Wolff suggested it might have been triggered by wiring issues within the car or potentially by a failure in the F1 system that caused Mercedes' own systems to "go bananas."

Russell's ability to maintain composure and secure a podium finish despite these technical challenges further cements his growing reputation for consistency and technical adaptability in difficult circumstances.