George Russell: “I’ve Held My Own” Against Lewis Hamilton

For several years, George Russell was a highly rated young driver collecting experience at Williams. Fast-forward to today, and he is teammates with Lewis Hamilton – hopeful that Mercedes can again challenge for the World Championship.

The 25-year-old was very impressive in his debut season with Mercedes F1, securing a race victory and several podiums. Considering it was his first year at Mercedes, the Formula 2 Champion showed a combination of commendable level of speed and consistency.

However, the 2023 campaign was less fruitful for the British driver. Although Russell still managed to collect two podium finishes, he was outmatched by his teammate.

Lewis Hamilton secured significantly more points, eventually finishing as “best of the rest” behind an unstoppable RB19. After such an impressive debut year with Mercedes F1, George Russell’s second year at Brackley was a rude awakening.

This isn’t to say that Russell, or anyone else, had forgotten the calibre of a 7-time World Champion.

Still, in a sport where the top teams are so scrutinised, every peak and trough is evaluated. Moving forward, the former Williams driver will aim to iron out some of the mistakes (Canada, Singapore) that proved so costly.

“I truly believe in myself. The team believe in me,” he said earlier this year.

“And that’s been really down to the fact that I’ve been teammates with Lewis and held my own.

“I really feel like I’m only just getting started… I think I’m performing at a really high level.

“I’m really happy with my own performance, but I recognise that you need to sustain this performance and be ready for when the car gives you that opportunity.”

For Mercedes F1, their driver line-up is undoubtedly one of their strengths. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell offer a rare combination of speed, youth and experience.

Considering Red Bull’s dominance in 2023, the German outfit will need both drivers to perform at their best.

That said, the last twelve months have shown flashes of the potential consequences of a closely matched teammate pairing. At Qatar, for example, Toto Wolff saw his drivers collide at turn one and throw away crucial points.

In less dramatic incidents, such as in Brazil or Japan, Mercedes found themselves contending with two drivers fighting for the same piece of track. Russell sent his fair share of team radio messages bemoaning the situation.

For F1 news outlets and fans alike, observing this dynamic in 2024 will be fascinating and entertaining in equal measure.