Russell is driven to succeed
GEORGE RUSSELL is relishing the prospect of racing wheel to wheel with Lewis Hamilton next season if he lands a dream move to Mercedes.
Hamilton confirmed two weeks ago he was staying with the team for a further two years.
Russell is waiting to hear more on his future after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff did not rule out the Briton as a replacement next year for Hamilton’s current team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
He is a free agent come the end of the year when his deal with Williams expires and would love the chance to test himself against the very best in a front-running car.
“Lewis is still going to be on the top of his game, and is still doing an excellent job,” said Russell, 23, as he geared up to compete on home soil at Silverstone this weekend.
“You want to be racing against the best drivers in the world, and Lewis is probably the greatest of all time and still is going incredibly strong.
“If Lewis wasn’t on the grid, we’d be missing out on one of the best drivers of it. So it’s just great to have him stay in for another couple of years.”
Russell impressed on his debut for Mercedes last season, stepping in for Hamilton at the Sakhir Grand Prix after the seventime world champion contracted Covid-19.
He nearly won, a poor pit stop and a puncture robbing him of the chance of victory. But he is determined to be at the front of the pack on a regular basis after battling at the back with Williams.
“I guess for me first, I just want the opportunity to be fighting in front of the grid and show what I can do,” added Russell.
“It’s been obviously tough, being at the back of the grid.”