Toto Wolff admits he can "only smile" at claims that George Russell is establishing himself as the new lead driver at Mercedes.

Despite a difficult start to the 2022 Formula 1 season for the team, the Briton has been a very bright spot finishing in the top five at every race, including two podiums in Australia and Spain.

While luck has also played a role in some results, Russell has regularly been a match for his illustrious teammate Lewis Hamilton, who in contrast has struggled, notably in Jeddah and Imola.

But when it comes to the punditry about the pecking order within Mercedes, Wolff has little interest.

“I hardly follow it, but when I pick up one or two remarks, I can only smile about them," he said via Austria's oe24.at.

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"George is doing a good job, but that’s exactly what we expected of him, that’s why he’s with Mercedes.

"We knew that he was very good [from his junior days], then obviously the Williams school added its part, so we were never in any doubt that he would be very good.

"He's integrated very well, it's almost like he's been here forever. You can see that it's materialising on the track.

"He's very rational. Whether he's fastest in P2, or whether he's eleventh, it’s just about applying the science and trying to make the car faster.

"I like his approach very much."

The Mercedes boss also praised the working relationship between Russell and Hamilton, something that a few thought could be strained given the dynamic of the young up and comer up against the established veteran.

"I'm really happy about the two of them, how they interact, how respectful they are with each other," Wolff said. "I enjoy seeing them working together, the level is high from both of them.

"And that has put us in a decent situation in the Constructors’ Championship, so I couldn't wish for any better pairing."