Mercedes might not have the fastest car at the moment, but driving for the team is a dream job for George Russell.
The talented British driver spent the last three years racing for Williams – in cars not capable of winning or running at the front of the pack. He did a one-off race in Bahrain with Mercedes in 2020, subbing for Lewis Hamilton who had COVID-19. Russell almost won but for a pit stop error by the team.
Russell joined the Mercedes junior program in 2017. Now, he will race as Hamilton’s teammate. He replaced Valtteri Bottas who drove for the team since 2016 and has now moved to Alfa Romeo.
“That’s incredibly inspiring and motivating for me to try and reach the heights that Lewis has achieved,” Russell said.
At the end of last season Hamilton had a record 103 poles and 103 wins. And he almost won a record eighth world championship.
“Lewis is a fighter and his absolute priority is to be the best version of himself when he hits the track in Bahrain for the first race,” Russell said. “He knows what it takes.”
The two drivers get along well, and they work together well.
“He seems very genuine and he’s just focused on being the best team player he can,” Hamilton said. “It’s been seamless and we’re communicating a lot.”
Hamilton says that Russell is “incredibly talented.”
“You see that picture of him when he was a kid, when I was at McLaren,” Hamilton said. “Of course, he’s had an amazing run getting into Formula One. I have no doubt he’s going to be a strong competitor.”