Williams driver George Russell has been incredibly impressive since his F1 debut in 2019 and Ralf Schumacher, Michael Schumacher’s younger brother, believes the time has come for him to team up with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes F1. Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton’s current team-mate, has had a difficult life at Brackley. Hamilton currently leads the F1 standings with 195 points, while Bottas is currently in fourth place with just 108 points.
Ralf Schumacher believes that George Russell will switch to Mercedes F1
According to Ralf Schumacher, George Russell’s call-up for a summer tire test in a Mercedes F1 car is a clear sign that he will replace Valtteri Bottas next season. Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff had previously announced that the driver line-up for 2022 will be announced during the summer break, which ends at the end of this month. Hamilton’s contract was extended for a further two seasons earlier this year, while Bottas’ contract has not yet been decided, which has given rise to further speculation. Although several fans and pundits have suggested that if Bottas’ contract is not renewed, Russell will move to Mercedes, Jacques Villeneuve claims that Lance Stroll could get the nod because of his father’s close relationship with Wolff.
However, Michael Schumacher’s younger brother believes Russell’s move to Mercedes F1 is inevitable, despite Villeneuve’s claims. In an interview with AutoBild: “It’s true that [Aston Martin boss Lawrence] Stroll and Wolff are close friends. But how far would they go? I don’t think Lance Stroll plays a role at Mercedes. I think that’s where Russell is sitting. It is no coincidence that he is doing the tests for Mercedes with the new 18-inch tires that will be used next year. For me this is a clear indication. “
George Russell replaced Lewis Hamilton at the Sakhir GP last year
After Lewis Hamilton was diagnosed with COVID late last year, George Russell received the nod to replace him at the Sakhir Grand Prix. Russell scored his first points in Formula 1 with a ninth place after he had also led the race once. The 23-year-old started his summer break with a test on the 2022 Mercedes F1 car and drove 137 laps.
Image: AP & ralfschumacher_rsc / Instagram
The post “George Russell will join Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes,” says Michael Schumacher’s brother first appeared on monter-une-startup.
