Why Is George Russell Hailed as Mr. Saturday in F1?

British driver George Russell is all set to partner Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2022. The young, relentless, and strong-headed Brit is one of the most sought-after drivers on the grid. After three years with Williams, he has finally reached Brackley to start a new adventure. He had a strong 2021 season, clinching an exceptional P2 finish in a rain-laden 2021 Belgian GP.

Although the Briton has joined Mercedes for the 2022 season, this is not the first time he will take the wheel of a Silver Arrows machine. The Briton debuted for the Mercedes during the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, replacing reigning champion Lewis Hamilton, who tested positive for coronavirus. His potential in a competitive car was there for the world to see.

Now, he is back with the team as their permanent pilot and fans are expecting to see him gunning for wins regularly.

In his last stint with Williams, one thing that certainly stood out was his performances during qualifying sessions. Notably, his only podium in the 2021 season was due to an exceptional qualifying result.

The 24-year-old received great recognition at Williams for his Saturday qualifying heroics, earning him the nickname “Mr. Saturday”. Russell carries this nickname proudly, as he is a fan of Saturday thrills. During the 2021 season, Russell managed to push his Williams to Q3 on multiple occasions and even managed to outqualify Sir Lewis Hamilton for the 2021 Belgian GP. This alone is proof enough of his Saturday dominance.

George Russell reveals the reason behind strong Saturdays

In a recent interview, George Russell revealed the secret behind placing his car as high on the grid as possible. The Briton said that he flourishes under the pressure of performing at the fullest in that one lap. “It’s the high-pressure stakes of qualifying; you go out there, you’ve got one lap to do the business,” said the new Mercedes man.

“The pressure is on and the world’s watching. It just excites me and I thrive on that pressure to go out there and deliver. I think for a lot of drivers, it’s the most exciting part of the weekend. It’s when your car is at its fastest and when everything is on the line.”

“It’s like a sprint, [with] the race being more of a marathon, managing it to the end. But qualifying–you are not holding anything back, you are unleashing everything and that’s what I enjoy,” added the 24-year-old.

Now, after a fairly successful stint with a lower midfield team, Russell would certainly look to mount a championship challenge in Mercedes. However, there are some reservations about the young Brit.

Many fans are drawing parallels between Valtteri Bottas and George Russell as Bottas is also considered a fierce Qualifying competitor. So is Mercedes replacing Mr. Saturday with another Mr. Saturday or does Russell has more to offer? Fans shall know soon enough.

Read More: George Russell Shares Interesting Insight to Mercedes W13 Ahead of Upcoming 2022 Car Launch