As Mercedes struggles to find the form that drove the Silver Arrows to eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships, George Russell has thanked Lewis Hamilton for having “saved” his career.
Russell moved to Mercedes at the start of the 2022 season, as new regulations took effect, leaving Williams where he’d spent his first three years on the grid.
Mercedes has failed to find the success of previous years following the changes to its design in recent years, leading to speculation that Hamilton might leave the sport.
This is the second time it has been thought that the seven-time world champion might end his Formula 1 career, with the controversial end of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix thought to have almost driven him to retirement.
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Russell is clearly grateful to have the experienced driver alongside him during the troubling time for Mercedes.
“If he had left Mercedes or the sport when I joined the team, I would have been blamed for the step backwards the team made,” the Brit said.
“But I think that I’ve now proved what I’m worth and what I can do, so there’s no pressure in that regard,” Russell added.
Russell showed his skill at Mercedes during the 2022 season, delivering the team’s only victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix and outscoring his teammate.
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In 2023, so far, Russell has outqualified his teammate in every race and would be leading Hamilton in the Drivers’ Standings if it weren’t for a DNF in Australia.
“I’m there to do my job as well as possible and I think I’m in a very good position,” Russell explained.
“So I don’t worry about statistics or whether I’m on Lewis’ pace or whatever, because I feel like I’ve already proved that over the past year,” he continued.