George Russell got into the Mercedes car on Tuesday before teaming up with Lewis Hamilton for the 2022 season. The driver changes from Williams and drove for Mercedes in the test after the season.
The dust still settles on one of the most incredible finals of a Formula 1 season.
Hamilton’s pursuit of an eighth world title ended sensationally in the final round of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Briton lost his title to Max Verstappen in the most controversial circumstances.
A safety car was deployed after Nicholas Latifi’s accident. There were five lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen.
These drivers were initially told they couldn’t do their laps, but the FIA then reversed that decision. The five cars were not lapped, so Verstappen had a free run in Hamilton.
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The Dutchman had fresher, softer tires and was able to overtake the Mercedes car on Turn 5 on the last lap.
Verstappen’s success earned him his first world title. Mercedes had two protests dropped by the FIA and is about to appeal the chaos at the end of the race.
Soon-to-be Mercedes driver Russell was one of the drivers who reacted violently to the end of the race, calling it “unacceptable”.
“Max is an absolutely fantastic driver who has had an incredible season and I have just great respect for him, but what just happened is absolutely unacceptable,” tweeted the 23-year-old.
“It was an honor to work with every member of the team and it was an honor to represent the Williams name in Formula One.
“When I look to the next season, I would be lying if I said that I am not absolutely buzzing. It’s a huge opportunity and one I want to seize with both hands. But I am under no illusions about the scale of the challenge; it will be a steep learning curve. ”
He added: “One of my new team-mates is the greatest rider of all time in my opinion.
“I’ve looked up to Lewis since I’ve been in go-karting and the opportunity to learn from someone who has become a role model both on and off the track can only benefit me as a driver, professional and person.”
