Williams boss Jost Capito has praised George Russell after the Briton finally scored his first points for Williams in Hungary and praised his ability to handle pressure as the young Mercedes driver continues to battle for a seat at the seven-time world champion next season .
Russell has fought fiercely for points this season, getting every bit of power out of his Williams car and narrowly missing out on a points standings throughout the season.
But the 23-year-old did not let the setbacks dissuade him from his mission and returned to the track every weekend with a big grin on his face to score points and finally crossed the P9 line in Budapest.
“I have to say, I had hardly seen him as motivated as I had seen him on the Sunday before the race when he qualified 18th,” Capito told F1.com. “Instead he said, ‘Today is the day I’ll see what I can do. I will fight’.
“He was so focused and determined, even more so than when he qualified eighth.” [at Silverstone]. It was really great to see.
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“If he knocks, he’d better come back. It grows under pressure. The bigger the pressure, the better it gets. Many crack under pressure, but George is very different. The more pressure, the better it gets.
“We saw that when he was in the Mercedes last year [deputising for Lewis Hamilton who had tested positive for Covid-19]. It was the most pressure you could put on a driver and he did a brilliant job – and that’s his attitude. “
Russell was heard on the radio asking Williams to prioritize his teammate Nicholas Latifi in the middle of the race, with the Canadian in a stronger position for points at the time.
“It was kind of an undercut race in Hungary,” explained Russell.
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“So I knew Nicholas was third and I knew that if he came home with a P3 or a P4, those 15 or 12 points would be absolutely enough to seal P8 in the championship.”
And Russell’s current boss said the gesture was evidence of the type of driver he is.
“That’s the incredible team spirit George has,” said Capito. “He really puts the team first. It’s also the result of how George works with the team and how the team works with George.
“For the drivers, the team comes first and they benefit from it and that puts them in this position.
“It shows how George thinks and how mature he is during the race. He analyzes the situation and thinks about what it means for the team if they have a chance, and that during the race when many other racers would not even think about it.
“He can see the overall situation and doesn’t need an engineer to tell him how the situation is.”
Rumors of his possible move to Mercedes have continued to follow Russell this season, with the Williams driver becoming a free agent at the end of the season.
The young Mercedes junior driver has planted a permanent place in the minds of boss Toto Wolff after impressing during the Sakhir Grand Prix and replacing Hamilton in the penultimate race of the season.
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