You are Toto Wolff
Mercedes have Bottas under contract next year, Hamilton’s contract expires at the end of the season, Russell is very competitive after 1 drive in a car he didn’t really fit in with minimal practice.
Do you:
Replace Bottas with Russell. Russell will of course have to act as a number 2 and defer to LH, LH does not play well with others (most champions don’t)
Replace Hamilton with Russell, he’d be a lot cheaper, has proven he can be competitive. Mercedes would probably still be constructors champion and probably drivers champion.
Leave it as it is Bottas and Hamilton and risk seeing Russell in a Red Bull, use Russell’s success to argue against a massive LH pay check next year or only offer a one year deal rather than a multi year deal.
While we are at it who should get the second seat at Red Bull? Albon, Hulkenberg, Perez, Russell?
