George Russell joined the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton this season at Mercedes, replacing Valtteri Bottas. Both Hamilton and Bottas have together contributed to Mercedes’s success over the past few seasons. Last season, Russell nearly lost his spot in the Silver Arrows because of his crash with Bottas.

The young Brit was in Williams last season and that season was also a chance for George to prove his worth to Mercedes. But Russell nearly lost his place in the Brackley base for the 2022 season after his post-crash reactions in Imola. Russell and Bottas got into a dangerous crash last year at the Imola race. Luckily, both the drivers were okay, but the incident took a turn when George went up to the Finnish driver and slapped on his helmet. In return, Bottas showed his middle finger.

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Later on, George received a lot of criticism for his behavior after the crash. And he apologized for his actions in Imola. The Mercedes driver recently shared his thoughts on the incident and he’s ashamed of his behavior after the crash. He even revealed that because of the Imola crash, he was also close to losing his spot at Mercedes this season.

“I made myself look a bit of a d**k,” Russell said. “If I look back on how I handled that, I’d probably laugh at myself and say ‘what were you doing?’ I just looked like an idiot, like I’d lost the plot. And to be honest, for a second, I probably did lose the plot.”

George Russell on driving in front

Russell is one of the best young talents in the sport and he was waiting for an opportunity with a big F1 team. The opportunity finally came with the Silver Arrows this season. But the Brit didn’t have a phenomenal start in 2022. Russell and his seven-time world champion teammate were having troubles with 2022 challenger W13, especially at long straights. But still, Russell’s performance at the season opener was decent. He finished fourth behind Hamilton after starting the race at P9.

During his past three seasons in Williams, Russell didn’t enjoy a lot of time at the front of the grid. Many are doubting the young Englishman whether he would be able to stay at the front of the grid. To which George replies, “Well, I’ve been racing for 17 years, and 14 of those I was at the front. I think as soon as I’ve got a race or two under my belt, I’ll be back to normal.”

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The 2022 season has begun and we are one race down so far. So let’s see whether George Russell can stand up to the expectations and handle the pressure of being a part of a championship-winning team. How do you think he will perform in the Saudi Arabian GP this Sunday? Let us know in the comments below.