The roadmap for George Russell’s career is going as planned so far, with the Brit making the move to Mercedes following three successful years of gaining experience with Williams.
Mercedes struggled to get to grips with the major regulation changes that came into effect in 2022 and were forced to battle with a porpoising issue during the first half of the season, however they did manage to secure a single race victory.
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix was George Russell’s weekend, as the Brit won both the sprint race and the main race on Sunday, overcoming two safety car restarts and a near-miss with a mechanical failure.
Russell outscored seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton during his first season with Mercedes, but despite this, the 24-year-old claims that he felt like a rookie again when he joined the team.
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“In some regards, I almost feel like a bit of a rookie this season because the level at which this team works – we’re talking about things that I’ve never even spoken about before in Formula 1,” explained Russell.
“So, that’s taken me some time to understand – what the team’s processes are during a race weekend, how I can make the car faster in terms of set-up, and that’s why I’ve felt a bit of a rookie at the start of this season.”
Cracks are already beginning to show in Russell’s relationship with Hamilton, as the young Brit rejected claims from his teammate that his more experimental set-up was the reason that he lost out to Russell in the championship standings.
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Toto Wolff and Mercedes have said that they are aware of a potential developing situation in the team, similar to the breakdown in relationship between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg during their time together with the Silver Arrows.
Wolff has suggested that he does not mind his drivers occasionally coming to blows, at it shows that they both have the mentality required to win championships, rather than having a driver who will back down when challenged.
After getting a taste of Formula 1 glory, Russell will not be content with sitting back and supporting Hamilton while he hunts for his record breaking eighth world title, meaning that a potential breakdown in relationship between the pair not off the cards, should the find themselves battling for the championship in 2023.