Mercedes’ recent signing, George Russell, has undeniably been one of the most hyped Formula One drivers in recent years. And it all began at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix where he turned up as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement and almost secured his first Grand Prix win against his interim teammate, Valtteri Bottas.

It was quite shocking to see how the young Briton managed to adapt to the Mercedes W11 in such a short span of time which clearly defined his racing capabilities and the qualities he could bring to the table. Hence, after a year of racing with Williams, Russell has finally earned the opportunity to challenge for the championship.

However, there is the question of whether he could stand a chance against the most successful driver of the hybrid era, Hamilton. Well, Dr. Helmut Marko, head of the Red Bull Driver Development Program, is keen on knowing the answer to this million-dollar question.

The Austrian opined that Russell might not be worth the hype as the Briton has often showcased struggles during the main races.

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Is the alleged future Mercedes F1 star worth the hype?

As reported by Independent, Marko reckoned that Russell, despite cherishing commendable performances during qualifying sessions, had struggled to shine during the main events. In fact, Marko pointed out that the then Williams F1 teammate, Nicholas Latifi, on several occasions, was able to match Russell in 2021.

“Let’s see what Mr. Russell will do at Mercedes and whether the praise he has received in advance is justified,” Marko told Austrian outlet Autorevue. “I want to see that first. There’s no discussion in qualifying, he’s sensational there but if you look at his race speed, he wasn’t far ahead of Latifi.”

Overall, this is a reasonable opinion from Marko, who has spent most of his hybrid era time searching for young talents and pulling them into Red Bull’s junior program. Hence, a man with such a strong understanding of junior drivers would certainly know Russell’s on-track capacities.

So, how will the young British driver fare in his first full season with Mercedes? Can he defeat the two title favorites, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen?

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