Formula 1 and IndyCar legend Mario Andretti says he is waiting with George Russell at Mercedes before assessing his performances against Lewis Hamilton.
Russell is moving to Mercedes this season, replacing Valtteri Bottas as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate, and Andretti, who not only won the 1969 Indianapolis 500 but was crowned Formula One World Champion in 1978 with Colin Chapman’s Lotus team, believes Russell has big shoes to fill this season against Hamilton, who is looking to recover from a difficult season in 2021.
Andretti, whose son Michael was on the verge of buying the Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team last year, believes Russell needs to show his performance at Bahrain with Mercedes in 2020 was not just a one-off.
The American believes Russell has some big shoes to fill when it comes to joining Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, replacing Valtteri Bottas, who has joined Alfa Romeo F1 Team.
Andretti told Racingnews365.com: “He has some huge shoes to fill! Not just to Lewis, but to Valtteri who was a strong and valuable teammate. We saw what George did in Bahrain in a one-off situation, so you would expect him to be really strong [performance].”
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Andretti concluded: “But we always wait and see. You can draw a lot of conclusions, but until it’s proven… Sometimes it’s an isolated case that really works, and then when you’re really into it, it gets a little more difficult.”
Russell, also known as “Mr. Saturday helped the Williams team finish P8 in the 2021 Constructors Championship and was consistent. He needs to continue that if he wants to be able to challenge Hamilton this season.
Mercedes opens a new chapter this year with the arrival of Russell within the team that combines youth with experience and it will be very interesting to see the dynamics within the team throughout the year.
The 2022 Formula 1 season begins with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 18-20.
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