George Russell is eager to compete for the world championship. The Brit was loaned to Williams at the start of his Formula 1 career and watched ‘his’ Mercedes dominate the sport. However, when he finally joined the Silberpfeile in 2022, the team struggled with the new regulations and was no longer in contention for the final victory. In his fourth season with Mercedes, Russell is more eager than ever for a title fight.
While rivals Lando Norris and Max Verstappen know what it feels like to vie for the world championship, George Russell’s patience is increasingly being tested. At Mercedes, he has so far ‘only’ won four Grands Prix and secured six pole positions. He realizes that his potential may remain untapped as long as Mercedes fails to build a competitive car.
English outlet Autosport.com asked him if the long wait for a title fight still motivates him. “Absolutely, I’m hungrier than ever,” Russell responded decisively. However, he admitted that his patience is being tested. “I had hoped that by now, after seven seasons, I would have been able to fight for the championship at least one year. When I joined Mercedes, we thought every year would be a title fight. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case.”
The Nature of Formula 1
Russell pointed out that other drivers of his generation have also experienced misfortune. “The same applies to Charles Leclerc,” he continued. “No one could have predicted two years ago that McLaren would make this leap. Lando (Norris) has raced for five years and has not been involved in any title fights. You just have to accept that this is the nature of Formula 1. It has always been this way.” However, Russell also draws hope from the past. “Take Michael Schumacher for example. He was in his thirties, in his fifth season with Ferrari, and only then did he win a title with them. I’m only 27, so I still have some time.”
This year, Mercedes had a relatively strong start. For instance, Russell achieved a victory in Montreal and frequently made it to the podium. However, the German team later struggled with warmer conditions, and the suspension also caused problems. “There was clearly something wrong; something was not working as we expected,” said Russell. “At the beginning of the year, things were more in our favor, although I didn’t truly earn all of my podium finishes. In Melbourne, Oscar Piastri went off, and in Miami, the VSC played into our hands.”
