George Russell's arrival at the Mercedes team was very spectacular. First, his one-race cameo, and then how he gradually but very decisively dominated the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, projected serious things ahead.
In 2022, during his first year with Mercedes, for example, he secured the team's only victory, and that year, as well as last year, he outperformed his multiple world champion teammate. Therefore, Russell - perhaps justifiably - feels that if he had arrived a bit earlier, if he had been given a chance a bit sooner, he could already be a world champion. Perhaps even a two-time champion.
"Being in Lewis's shadow was not easy. I was a teammate of a seven-time world champion for three seasons, and this happened during an unfortunate period for me. There were times when finishing ahead of Hamilton guaranteed a race win, but mostly a championship title. That's why I believe that if I had been given the opportunity by Toto Wolff earlier, I might already have two world championship titles."
"My goal now is to become a world champion. I will do everything, I will do my job as I have in the past years. I work with the same engineering team, the same mechanics, and I believe that consistent and persistent effort will soon pay off." - said George Russell.
Photo: F1
