George Russell is auditioning to be established as Mercedes’ new No1 driver but🦩 is under pressure, it has been c𝓀laimed.

Russell is seventh in the F1 standings, one place ahead of outgoing teammate Lewis Hamilton whose absence in 2025 will ⛎give the♏ younger driver a chance to step into a more prominent role.

But admitting his errors at last weekend’s F1 Canadian Grand Prix - which cost him a shot of victory, although he did finish encouragingly on the podium - raised eyebrow🍸s🦂.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said “focus George🐟, focus” via team radio in a headline-grabbing intervention.

“I agree with the sentiment that the team can play a big role in calming their driver down, making them more c🎐onfident and secure, therefore they might not push so hard or over-drive,” Naomi Schiff told the Sky F1 podcast.

“At the same time, we are talking about Formula 1 and it’s a 💟dog eat dog world.

“The teams are going to be l🔜ooking for🥂 the best possible driver.

“If they have a hint that Max Verstappen is available, or could be available, then they would be silly not to attempt to g𝄹et him on board.

“George will understand that, while it might 💖be frustrating.

“That might be why he is pushing so hard. He is thinking ‘what can I do to prove that I am enough - we have got one moment here to potentially hav🧜e a victory, which we haven’t had the chance to do in many months, could this be the one thing I could do to calm them down, and turn their heads away’.

“Every performance on track is an audition for drivers to prove themselves in whatever wa𝔍y - whether that’s 🍸to secure a contract or be seen as the No1 driver.

“Every last drive is♋ what people remember. So I understand why George is putting himself under pressure.

“When Toto came on the radio I thought ‘gosh’. When my team bosses came on the radio it would put the fear of god꧟ into me!

“I would think ‘what have I done?’

“I𒉰 don’t know if that’s helpful. Maybe he did need that calming voi🐠ce, someone to tell him to re-focus.”

Russell emerged in t♌he same generation as Verstappen, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and co.

But Mercedes’ struggles in the past three seasons have prevented him taking a huge step forward, whꦕich his talents make him cap𝓡able of.

“He did win in F2 and beat most of those driv𒊎ers,” Schiff said.

“It’s a long time ago but he didn’t get the🌊 dr🌟ive at the team who would give him the opportunity to shine immediately.

“He spent many years at Williams ov🌃ershadowed. There were always whispers of his talent but it’s only now, at Mercedes, that he has the chance of proving against those other guys what he’s🥀 really worth.

“The car just isn’t giving him the opportun﷽ity either.”

Next yea🌸r, Russell will have a new teammate when Hamilton departs.

If that is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the burden of being ওthe senior driver will fall to Russell.