George Russell's arrival at Mercedes was a hugely impressive one. First his one-time stand-in, then the way he gradually but decisively dominated seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, foreshadowed serious things to come.
In 2022, his first year at Mercedes, for example, he took the team's only win, and that year, as well as last year, he outscored his multiple world champion teammate. That's why Russell - perhaps rightly - feels that if he had come a little earlier, if he had been given the chance sooner, he could have been world champion by now. Maybe even a double.
"Being in Lewis' shadow wasn't easy. I was a teammate of the seven-time world champion for three seasons and it happened at an unfavorable time for me. There were times when finishing ahead of Hamilton certainly meant winning the race, but above all, the championship. That's why I think that if I had been given the opportunity by Toto Wolff earlier, I could have had two championships already."
"Now my goal is to become world champion. I will do everything in my power, I will do my job, just like in previous years. I am working with my engineering team, with the same mechanics and I believe that a consistent and persistent approach will soon bear fruit." - declared George Russell.
Photo: F1
