George Russell's arrival at Mercedes was a spectacular one. First, his substitution during a race, 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 secured the team's only victory, and that year, as well as last year, he surpassed his multiple world champion teammate. This is why Russell—perhaps rightly—believes that if he had arrived a little earlier, if he had been given a little earlier chance, he could already be world champion. Maybe even twice.
“Being in Lewis’s shadow wasn’t easy. I was the teammate of a seven-time world champion for three seasons, and it came at an unfortunate time for me. Indeed, there were times when, if you finished ahead of Hamilton, it guaranteed a race win, but more importantly a championship title. That’s why I think that if I had had the opportunity earlier with Toto Wolff, I could have already had two world championship titles.
"My goal remains the same: to be world champion. I'm doing everything right, doing my job as I have been doing for the past few years. I'm working with the same team of engineers, the same mechanics, and I believe this consistent and persistent approach will soon bear fruit," said George Russell.
Photo: F1
