George Russell’s predecessor, Valtteri Bottas, played the Formula 1 role as Mercedes’ brass dictated it.
Bottas fought on for five years and qualified for Q3 in all 101 Grand Prix starts he made for Mercedes, including 10 wins. But Bottas decided to step out of Hamilton’s looming shadow after the dramatic 2021 F1 season.
In steps Russell, who has to understand one rule right from the start: The team garage belongs to the seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
George Russell: “I think I’m pretty grateful for the difficulties I faced”
George Russell made his Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2019 and stayed with the team for three years. He says it would have been perfect to switch to Mercedes after two. # F1 # GR63https: //t.co/2GrCAjUKuX
– Mercedes F1 News – SilverArrows.Net (@SilverArrowsNet) January 2, 2022
Russell has been a top candidate in the Mercedes junior program since 2017 and is very familiar with “The Lewis Rules”. While there have been reports that Hamilton may be retiring this off-season, there has been little news about Mercedes desperately looking for a replacement.
It is expected that Hamilton will return for another run to win an eighth record-breaking F1 driver title. He missed last season when Max Verstappen put down a controversial final lap pass at the Abu Dhabi GP on December 12.
Hamilton and Bottas worked well together. Bottas, however, signed a multi-year deal with Alfa Romeo as the organization’s number 1.
Russell has three almost pointless seasons with Williams. While Mercedes machines mostly drove with the leaders, Williams was generally behind the field.
In 2021, Mercedes took the eighth constructors’ title in a row with 613.5 points; Williams finished eighth at 23.
“I think I’m pretty grateful for the trouble I’ve had on the track over the years because often things feel easier when you get into a faster and a more complete car,” Russell said during an outside press conference of the season, via planetf1.com.
After more than two seasons, Russell finally gets the first points for Williams
The new Mercedes driver George Russell (63) takes a turn on December 15, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, during a Formula 1 test session at the Yas Marina Circuit | Clive Rose / Getty Images
Russell failed to finish a top 10 run in the first two seasons with Williams. Despite his reputation as a tough driver who carried out tricky maneuvers, Russell often struggled through slower traffic, far from the usual Hamilton or Verstappen pace.
Williams finished 10th and 20th in the constructors’ championship in 2019, Russell’s first two seasons with the team. The pointless skid finally ended during the Hungarian GP 2021 and continued with top 10 placements at three of four events. As Russell told the media on formula1.com: “Points again! … Pretty crazy.”
F1 life for Russell promises to stay “pretty insane”.
At Williams, his accomplishments were often overlooked. With Mercedes, he will be in the spotlight at the 23 F1 events in 2022.
Russell said his early career struggles would help.
“The strategy is always good when the car is fast,” said Russell. “You’re starting to be more lucky. These things are starting to get in your way and I think I feel more of a well-rounded driver because of it. “
Russel: “When a car is faster, everything often seems fine”
Russell showed his potential at the 2020 Sakhir GP by replacing Hamilton, who contracted the coronavirus (COVID-19). He missed pole by just 0.026 seconds and was challenged by P1, but a poorly executed pit stop and a burst tire prevented a potential maiden voyage straight out of a picture book.
“Often times, when a car is faster, everything seems to be fine,” said Russell.
With Mercedes, he will be piloting a more powerful machine despite the new industry regulations. Will everything stay alright? Possibly, but Russell needs to remember that the garage is owned by Hamilton. If team boss Toto Wolff asks him to exchange a cheaper track position for Hamilton, this will be done.
Bottas did it for five years.
Now it’s Russell’s turn.
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