George Russell claims “he is ready in every way” to compete for the title after Lewis Hamilton’s departure
George Russell stated his desire to be a world championship contender next season following Lewis Hamilton's departure from Mercedes.
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George Russell and Lewis Hamilton (images via IMAGO)
Even before the start of the 2024 season, Mercedes found out that its star driver Lewis Hamilton would not remain at Brackley for the 2025 season. This inevitably placed the leadership role on George Russell, who has been with the Silver Arrows since 2022. Moreover, witnessing the team’s recent trends, the Brit asserted that he was ready to be a world champion with Mercedes after Hamilton’s departure.
Russell has been with Mercedes‘ reigns since his junior career. The 26-year-old impressed multiple teams in F1 and got his chance to drive for the German giant after three years driving at Williams. Moving through the learning curve, it’s Russell’s time to take on the leadership role at the team after their senior driver decided to part ways to fulfill his dream of repping the red outfit in his lifetime.
Subsequently, George Russell revealed that he was ready to become an F1 champion with Mercedes without the guiding figure of Lewis Hamilton in the team.
I feel ready in every way to compete for the championship in 2025. I also feel ready to be a little better in every race together with the team, to help develop the car further. We will build on what Lewis and I have sown over the last three years next year.George Russell said in an interview
The Englishman elaborated that with each passing race, he is getting more in the groove of being the team leader. His feedback on the car’s characteristics has become more accurate which has been helping the team resolve its issues, and utilize the foundation that Hamilton and he have built over the past few years.
George Russell explains how small margins make a huge difference in F1
With the pecking order being extremely close, four teams and seven drivers have tasted victory this season. Moreover, with such versatility in the F1 sphere, every race has often appeared as a journey through the dark.
George Russell explained how the competitiveness of the field has increased the stakes at every corner. The Mercedes driver stated that a few tenths cover the top eight positions on Saturday (qualifying day) and a similar story continues into the race day. Thus, small losses or gains around a lap could become the difference between winning and losing a race by a mile.
The smallest detail can make a huge difference. Saturday like Sunday. The last two years, it wouldn't have mattered whether we qualified two tenths faster or slower. The starting position would have been the same. Today, there is a difference of five starting positions. In Zandvoort, we made a mistake with the setup.George Russell said in an interview with Auto Motor Und Sport
Mercedes currently stand fourth in the constructors’ standings, with a huge gap to third-placed Ferrari. The German team is on course to finish behind the trifecta of Red Bull, McLaren, and the Scuderia after finishing as the runner-up last year.
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Geetansh Pasricha
(772 Articles Published)