Mr. Consistency has really stepped up his game this season in an underperforming Mercedes. George Russell enjoyed a stellar first year with the Silver Arrows. He won his maiden GP in F1 and finished P4 in the driver’s championship. Moreover, he also joined an elite list of drivers who have beaten Lewis Hamilton as their teammate.

Crossing the checkered flag ahead of anyone else in Brazil must have brought much relief to Russell and everyone else in the Mercedes camp. After suffering paramountly in the first half of the season due to multiple issues, a win for Mercedes all year looked distant. However, it wasn’t as easy as it looked for the Briton who has had to work hard and make his place in one of the top teams, like Mercedes.

Mercedes’ newbie opens up about being patient for his chance

Russell was one of the most talented young drivers in F1. However, he’s had to be patient for his big move. While the Brit was plying his trade with Williams, his colleagues from F2 and karting Alex Albon and Lando Norris were signed by Red Bull and McLaren, respectively.

But that did not discourage George. He credits his time at Williams Racing as one of the beneficiaries that helped him finish above Albon and Norris. The Briton also won his first GP race before the duo, despite racing for a ‘back-of-the-grid’ team for 3 years.

George said, “I was part of Mercedes and I felt like my time will come. I think every time, from a difficult situation, you’ve got to try and look at the positives from it.”

He continued, “I was making a few mistakes that season, but not many people noticed because the spotlight wasn’t on me.”

Russell further added, “I saw this as an opportunity that, you know, I’m in Formula One, going to 21 different countries, 21 different races, different circuits. This is my opportunity to learn and perhaps try things that, for example, Alex and Lando didn’t have the opportunity to because the spotlight was on every single weekend.”

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Russell will hope that Mercedes roll out a competitive car next year in order to challenge for the title. He’ll also look to improve on his P4 finish this season.

George Russell talks about being teammates with F1 great Lewis Hamilton

Being teammates with Lewis Hamilton is not an easy job at all. However, George Russell joined an elite list this season after he became the third driver to beat Lewis as a teammate, others being Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg. The former Williams driver has impressed many with his driving skills in a top team this season.

“I feel very fortunate to be in this team, teammates with Lewis, learning a huge amount, being pushed to my limits. It’s not easy being teammates with somebody as fast and great as he is. But it has been a great year in many regards,” Russell told the F1 Nation podcast post-Abu Dhabi GP.

He further continued, “What we all do, every single person in this paddock, we are so fortunate to travel the world, us driving the fastest cars in the world around the best tracks in the world.”

Russell will now look to build on this season and add to the sole win of his career. Furthermore, he’ll also look to reinstate Mercedes at the top spot after they finished P3 in the WCC this year.

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Can George Russell and co. challenge Red Bull and Ferrari for the championship next season?