In England, he has been highly regarded for years, widely seen as the natural successor to Lewis Hamilton. George Russell, every inch a gentleman, awaits a bright future in Formula 1.
Champion of Formula 3
Toto Wolff, years ago, immediately recognized the potential of then-teenager George Russell thanks to his expert eye. Mercedes‘ team boss was partly responsible for the Brit getting a spot in the German car manufacturer’s talent program. Russell did not disappoint: in 2017, he won the title in Formula 3 as a debutant, and a year later, he repeated this feat in Formula 2. This paved his way to the premier class. Wolff placed the youngster at Williams in exchange for a hefty discount on Mercedes engines, the racing team where he was once a shareholder.
George Russel: Qualification Champion
Over the past three years, George Russell has proven to be an exceptional driver. During this time, he did not lose a single qualifying duel against a teammate: Robert Kubica and Nicholas Latifi were no match for him in time trials. Although the Brit was showered with praise, especially by the chauvinistic British press, he failed to score a World Championship point in his first two years at Williams. He did manage this in 2020 in Bahrain, where he stepped into the potent Mercedes W11 as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton (stricken by corona). The points at Williams finally followed in 2021, with 16 points he prominently put himself in the shop window for a seat at Mercedes.
And that’s coming, in 2022 George Russell will lead the charge for Mercedes in the first half of the season as teammate Hamilton still struggles with the bouncing W13. Russell also takes his first victory that year: in Brazil, he wins both the sprint race and the Grand Prix, and he eventually finishes fourth in the championship.
