George Russell's arrival at the Mercedes team was nothing short of spectacular. First, his appearance in a race, and then how he gradually but decisively dominated seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, foreshadowed important things to come.
In 2022, in his first year with Mercedes, for example, he achieved the team's only victory, and that year, as well as last year, he outperformed his teammate, the multiple world champion. That's why Russell—perhaps rightly—feels that if he had arrived a little sooner, if he had had a chance a little earlier, he could already be a world champion. Maybe even twice.
“Being in Lewis's shadow wasn't easy. I was a teammate of a seven-time world champion for three seasons, and this happened during an unfortunate period for me. There were times when, if you finished ahead of Hamilton, it guaranteed a race win, but above all, a title. That's why I think if I'd gotten a chance from Toto Wolff earlier, I could have had two world titles by now.”
"Right now, that's my goal, to be world champion. I'll do my best, I'll do my job, just as I have in recent years. I'm working with the same team of engineers, the same mechanics, and I believe that this constant and persevering attitude will soon pay off," declared George Russell.
Photo: F1
