George Russell Reflects on Surreal Hamilton F1 Partnership – “Lewis Was Like a Superhero to Me”

Mercedes finally unveiled their 2022 challenger, the W-13, at a grand launch event. Formidable driver duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were present during the event, along with team boss Toto Wolff. The three Mercedes men attended a media session together for the first time, answering some interesting questions. Moreover, a lot of conversation surrounding Lewis Hamilton did take place, as this was the first time since Abu Dhabi that he was facing the mic and camera.

Hamilton was away from the social media glare for close to two months after a devastating loss at Abu Dhabi. However, a recent development brought a wave of jubilation among the fans. Hamilton posted a picture of himself smiling at the Grand Canyon on his Twitter and Instagram handles with a caption saying, “I’ve been gone. Now I’m back!”.

From his training schedules to rare insights from his off-days, he is rekindling romance with his fans, just like old times. One of his biggest fans, however, was sitting right beside him today during the launch. His young, relentless teammate George Russell shared a fanboy moment when he was left awestruck by Lewis.

Racing alongside Lewis Hamilton a privilege: Russell

Lewis is all set to enter his 10th Formula 1 season with Mercedes, 16th overall. The Briton is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most inspiring drivers to set foot in the sport. He enjoys a popular fanbase across the world due to his on-track heroics and human qualities. Russell, once his biggest fan, is now preparing to star as his teammate at Mercedes.

During the W-13 car launch, Russell was asked about how it feels to sit and race alongside Lewis. To this, he referred to an old memory with Lewis while telling how thrilled he was to get this opportunity.

“It’s definitely surreal. I think we have all seen the photo of Lewis and I when I was 10-years old. We’ve both changes quite a lot since then. I was a young kid aspiring to be in Formula 1 and Lewis was obviously World Champion at the time,” said Russell.

“Lewis was a superhero to me, you know. And obviously now, growing up having an opportunity to race alongside Lewis is a great privilege for me. I’ve got such a great opportunity to learn,” he added.

Now, as the pre-season testing is already upon us, fans and F1 stars are eagerly waiting for the new season to kick-start with the Bahrain GP weekend. How excited are you to see George Russell in Mercedes?

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