George Russell is confident he will eventually contend for F1 titles, taking confidence from his record against teammate Lewis Hamilton.
For several years, George Russell was a highly rated young driver collecting experience at Williams. Fast-forward to today, and he is teammates with Lewis Hamilton – hopeful that Mercedes can again challenge for the World Championship.
The 25-year-old won a race and finished on multiple podiums in his first season with Mercedes F1. Even though it was his first year at Mercedes, the Formula 2 Champion demonstrated a respectable level of consistency and speed.
For the British driver, however, the 2023 campaign was less successful. Russell’s teammate outperformed him, despite his two podium finishes nonetheless.
Behind an unstoppable RB19, Lewis Hamilton finished as “best of the rest” after accumulating significantly more points. George Russell experienced a harsh awakening in his second year at Brackley following an incredible rookie season with Mercedes F1.
This is not to suggest that nobody, including Russell, had forgotten what a seven-time world champion was capable of.
Nevertheless, every high and low is assessed in a sport where the best teams are so closely watched. The former Williams driver wants to avoid making some of the costly mistakes in Canada and Singapore going forward.
“I truly believe in myself. The team believe in me,” he said earlier this year.
“And that’s been really down to the fact that I’ve been teammates with Lewis and held my own.
“I really feel like I’m only just getting started… I think I’m performing at a really high level.
“I’m really happy with my own performance, but I recognise that you need to sustain this performance and be ready for when the car gives you that opportunity.”
One of Mercedes F1’s advantages is without a doubt their driver lineup. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton provide a unique blend of youth, experience, and speed.
Red Bull will need both drivers to be at the top of their game in 2023, given their dominance.
Having said that, there have been glimpses over the past 12 months of the possible outcomes of a closely matched teammate pairing. For instance, Toto Wolff witnessed his drivers clash at the first turn in Qatar, costing him valuable points.
Mercedes had to deal with two drivers battling it out for the same lap in less dramatic incidents that happened in Brazil or Japan. Russell lamented the state of affairs on the team radio more times than he should have.
It will be interesting and entertaining for both F1 news organizations and fans to watch this dynamic in 2024.
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