George Russell is looking ahead to next season with a clear aim to be ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
George Russell insists he’s “not satisfied” with simply trying to match Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes as the young Brit wants to prove he’s better than the seven-time world champion. Russell impressed in his debut season at Mercedes with Hamilton finishing behind a team-mate in the Drivers’ Championship for only the third time in his career.
With 72 points separating them going into this weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton has returned to the top of the standings this year. For both Mercedes drivers, it has been a frustrating year as they have not been able to match Red Bull for race victories.
Although Russell retired twice this year in races where the 38-year-old finished on the podium, Hamilton has led his teammate for the majority of the season. Russell believes that his biggest losses this year have been lost opportunities. He is now focused on 2024, when he intends to take on Red Bull.
But the 25-year-old also wants to get back on top in the Mercedes garage to give Hamilton something to think about next year. “I’ve been on Lewis’s level, on average, throughout this year,” he told the Telegraph.
Furthermore, I’m not content to merely be at his level. My goal is to outpace him. But I also need to be grounded in reality. I am facing the greatest driver in history. He is unquestionably a good benchmark.
Furthermore, I believe that when sprint races are taken into account, our qualifying statistics are exactly the same. We also generally move at the same pace. Thus, there are advantages. And to be really honest, I would rather be sitting here with the pace instead of the results.
Instead of claiming that “Well, we just happened to get a result here or there,” when in reality I was a tenth or two off the pace.
Despite some disappointing results this year, Russell hasn’t lost faith in his own abilities and thinks Mercedes is in a strong position to grow from as we approach 2024.
“I’m excited, for my part,” he continued. I feel content with who I am. And everyone has a fresh start in the upcoming year. I’m hoping for a season where I can perform and achieve the same outcomes as in 2022, or at the very least, maximize those outcomes. My self-assurance remains untarnished.
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