TOTO'S TRIPLE CROWN

Wolff savours perfect podium as Hamilton follows Mercedes pair

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Wolff savours perfect podium as Hamilton follows Mercedes pair

TOTO WOLFF can be a tough nut to crack - but his soft centre was fully on show as he watched the podium ceremony in Shanghai with pride.

He looked up and saw young Kimi Antonelli, who joined Mercedes as a 12-year-old, holding back tears as he celebrated becoming a Formula One race winner.

He saw their previous prodigy and now team leader George Russell on the second step, with long-serving engineer Peter Bonnington collecting the constructors’ trophy. And he saw Lewis Hamilton, now of Ferrari but who Wolff still very much considers to be one of Mercedes’ own, on the third step.

“That podium now was probably one of the best moments I've ever had,” said the Mercedes team principal.

“The three of them, with Bono right in the middle. It's rare that I'm overwhelmed, but that was such a moment?”

Everything looks very rosy for his team right now, after a near-perfect start to the new campaign.