Russell warned: 'Boundaries must be respected at Mercedes'

Toto Wolff has told George Russell that he'll be free to fight teammate Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next season but won't be allowed to wander beyond "certain boundaries" within the team.

Russell will move to the Brackley squad next year following an impressive three-year apprenticeship with Williams and will replace Alfa Romeo-bound Valtteri Bottas.

It's a massive break for the young Briton who is seen as Hamilton's worthy successor. However, although Russell will be targeting race wins from the outset next season, Wolff has made clear that he won't let internal conflict set in at the championship-winning team.

Wolff recognizes, and indeed encourages, Russell's massive ambitions, but challenging his teammate cannot come to the detriment of Mercedes' greater interests.

"George Russell is another intelligent young man," Wolff told the Daily Mail.

"He will slot into the team but that doesn’t mean he has to hold back when driving. You can’t expect a lion in the car and a puppy out of it.

"But there are certain boundaries within the team that must be respected, and George knows them very well.

"Once the lights are green, only the drivers are responsible. I can’t interfere, manage or remote-control them, but one thing is of ultimate importance – don’t touch.

"That’s your responsibility. You can race hard, but no contact."

Wolff is eager to avoid at all costs a teammate battle that would descend into acrimony, as was the case between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg during the pair's tenure together at Mercedes.

• Read also: Hamilton will 'work harder' to fend off Russell challenge

"I’ve been there before with Nico when it wasn’t just a rivalry," said Wolff. "There was a lot of animosity and that’s not going to happen.

"This is about showing respect for each other and it can be hard because if you race on the same spot on the racetrack you will eventually come across each other.

"But there is an integrity we expect that nobody is ever bigger than the team.

"The drivers know that. You represent 2,000 people who work for us and 350,000 people who work for Mercedes.

"So again, you are the solar system and Mercedes the star — and that’s the sun."

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