When Mercedes announced that George Russell would replace Valtteri Bottas for the 2022 season and beyond, fans certainly did not expect him to hit the ground running in the manner that he did.
Despite the fact that the W13 severely lacked performance compared to the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull, Russell was a consistent finisher in the top five over the course of the season, rarely dropping below these positions.
Once the Silver Arrows managed to fix their major porpoising issue towards the end of the season, the team became a lot more competitive, and Russell made sure that all of Mercedes’ hard work paid off by delivering their only win of the season in Brazil.
The 24-year-old finished fourth in the drivers’ championship, two places ahead of his legendary teammate Lewis Hamilton, who finished the season winless in sixth place.
READ: Fernando Alonso makes huge Lance Stroll claim after Aston Martin reveal
Speaking about the upcoming season at Mercedes recent launch of the W14, Russell has identified one area where he believes he needs to improve compared to his teammate, suggesting that there is a lot more to come from him.
“I think the main one is probably just the tyre management,” he said.
“I think something Lewis is very good at is maximising stints and getting the most out of the tyres across a stint.
“That year under my belt, being teammates with him, seeing some of his traits, it’s been really, really beneficial for me.
READ: Stefano Domenicali tells drivers not to ‘attack’ Formula 1’s partners
“So I feel like I was on quite a steep learning curve in that regard, but still, as I said, I feel like we’ve got a lot more to come.”
Hamilton has claimed that the difference between himself and Russell last season may not be a true reflection on the pair, as he believes that he sacrificed a lot more of his season to allow the team to experiment with his setup, while Russell simply worked with what he had.
With a competitive car expected to take to the racetrack in Bahrain in a couple of weeks, fans have suggested that they will see a completely different Hamilton this season as he sets his sights on a record breaking eighth world title.