RUSSELL REALISES F1 DREAM WITH WILLIAMS
Briton graduates to top flight with legendary team
After signing for the Williams Formula 1 team, George Russell is hoping to establish himself as the Grove outfit’s team leader in 2019, in a bid to turn the struggling squad’s fortunes around.
Russell – who is leading the Formula 2 championship by 37 points with one round remaining – is the first Brit since Jenson Button in 2000 to make his series debut with the outfit.
“I think this year is a perfect opportunity for me to join Williams and to get into Formula 1,” said Russell. “Off the back of a tough season [for Williams] this gives me the chance to go in and be a team leader and push this forward to develop things in the right direction.”
After becoming the first Briton since Jenson Button to make his Formula 1 debut with the Williams team, George Russell wants to establish himself as a team leader in a bid to turn the squad’s fortunes around.
Russell, from King’s Lynn in Norfolk, is leading by 37 points in the Formula 2 championship this year with the ART Grand Prix team. However, he is the last of the top three in the series to secure a seat for next year behind Mclaren F1-bound Lando Norris and Formula E DAMS convert Alexander Albon.
Mercedes junior driver Russell’s journey to an F1 seat has been complicated by a volatile driver market this year, as he has had the uncertainty of deputising Esteban Ocon, who is a Mercedes junior already in F1 with Force India and theoretically higher up on the list for F1 teams, but Russell has scored a seat ahead of him.
The 20-year-old is the first driver to be confirmed at Williams next year, and wants to make his mark on the Grove squad immediately.
“I’m extremely motivated, I think this year is a perfect opportunity for me to join Williams and to get into Formula 1,” said Russell. “Off the back of a tough season [for Williams in F1] this gives me the opportunity to go in and be a team leader and push this forward to develop the team in the right direction.
“Formula 1 is such a complex sport and you can’t just be fast. Hopefully this opportunity will show that not only I’m quick but I can develop this team and push everyone in the right direction.”
Russell began testing Formula 1 cars in 2017 with Force India, and has driven both the Force India and Mercedes cars in different tests this year.
As part of a step-up in his role with Mercedes – which began in 2016 while he was competing in European Formula 3 with Hitech – he has been included in all team briefings on F1 grand prix weekends. Russell says he is hoping to match the dedication he has witnessed from Lewis Hamilton – someone he believes is potentially misunderstood – next year in a bid to establish himself in F1.
“The reason Mercedes are where they are is not only they have an incredible driver in
Hamilton and Bottas as well, they have two drivers really pushing the team forward in the right direction,” added the 2014 Mclaren Autosport BRDC winner. “Without that they wouldn’t have the car they do today.
“Away from the F2 races I’m going to all of the grands prix and I’m in all of the debriefs, I get to see how they deal with the engineers, their feedback and the things they focus on. Lewis is portrayed to be this guy who is not overly committed to Formula 1, he’s off doing his other activities and Formula 1 is almost seen as secondary to his music and fashion by some people. “This is totally not the case. “He is 100 per cent committed, he works extremely hard with his engineers and pushes them a huge amount and motivates them.
“You can’t just rely on natural talent, and even a guy of his level is working to make this happen and that’s what I have to do.”
Russell began car racing in 2014 with Lanan in BRDC F4, which he won, before two seasons in European F3 during which he picked up Mercedes’ backing. That was key to his future progress as Russell has been a driver who has required help with his budget to go racing.
Russell graduated to F2 this year after winning the GP3 Series title in 2017.
When asked if he thought his story could inspire drivers who need help with budget to progress, he said: “I think so. I got my role at Mercedes with huge help from Gwen Lagrue who used to look after Gravity Management. He looked after a number of drivers like Esteban Ocon. He was a big fan of mine from karting and he ended up at Mercedes and he was the one who really pushed at Mercedes to get me on their young driver programme. I hope it goes to show – the results in karting and cars were good – but it still came from karting, that initial impression on Gwen, it doesn’t matter at what point of your career, if you’re performing you will be looked at and the opportunity can come. I’d say believe in yourself, keep pushing at karting and if you’re doing the job you will be recognised.”
Russell has worked hard to achieve his F1 seat this year, asking for a meeting himself with Williams rather than being sought out.
“The first time I met Toto [Wolff, Mercedes team boss] was off the back of an email I sent to him with my CV attached and the next thing I knew I was sat in his office,” he added. “Again, the meeting with Williams, I pushed hard for that for myself. I didn’t want to just sit there and let things happen for me, I had to go out there and make it happen for myself.”
David Coulthard has defended a controversial new female-only race series, saying motorsport needs a “fundamental” change if more women are to reach to the top.
Coulthard is one of the backers of the new all-female W Series that will launch next year, which will offer the world’s leading female talent the chance to race in Formula 3-spec cars for a $1.5 million prize fund.
Those hoping to compete will not have to bring sponsorship, but will have to prove their ability through a selection process to ensure the grid is full of the best drivers possible.
Judges will include Coulthard, former F1 team manager Dave Ryan and Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, who is an advisory board member.
The category will be administered by the British Racing and Sports Car Club and will form part of the DTM’S support package, meaning it will visit the UK when the German tin-top category races at Brands Hatch in August.
F1 has not had a female contest a race since Lella Lombardi in 1976, and Coulthard suggested a different approach like an all-female category is required to change the situation.
“To quote former Mclaren boss Martin Whitmarsh, if you want a fundamental change in the outcome then you need a fundamental change in the process,” Coulthard said.
“W Series is a fundamental change in what has clearly not worked as an opportunity to bring through female talent to the highest level you can.
“What we will establish with W, is we will find out who the best woman is over the course of this championship. It undoubtedly will give her a higher level of profile and recognition.”
While Coulthard is aware the idea of a female-only championship is not supported by everyone, he believes that without the kind of change W Series will bring, the situation for women trying to progress will not improve.
“There will be those that are negative, but show me what anyone else is doing to try to create positive change and try to create positive opportunity?” he said.
“This is a change in the process and it will create opportunity. It is a more structured approach to their development – and an inspiration for girls growing up seeing someone winning and thinking ‘I want to do that’.”
But numerous female drivers have suggested W Series is being pitched at too high a level to attract more women into motorsport.
“At a grassroots level, something like this would be fantastic as a way to help get more women into the sport,” said Indycar racer Pippa Mann. “However at the level this series wants to interject itself, and given the type of cars, and amount of money they wish to spend, this should be spent helping further the careers of female racers, creating a scholarship, academy, or Racing Steps-type programme to help support some of the brightest female talents.
“I am deeply saddened that those with the money to help solve the funding issue for so many female racers are instead using it to force racing into segregation.
“Funding is a big part of the puzzle that’s incredibly tough so solve, and that’s why it so sad to see money that could be used to make a real difference, being spent in such an irresponsible, patronising, and demeaning manner.”
Former British GT racer Abbie Eaton agreed: “I’m not in favour of doing it myself. I think anything that supports women in motorsport is a good thing but I just feel we’ve backtracked a load by segregating men and women and creating this series. My opinion is that if you’re worried about entering motorsport because you’re worried about racing against the boys, you are not going to be quicker.”
However BRDC British Formula 3 race winner Jamie Chadwick is in favour of the scheme.
“The way I see it is as a positive and they’re trying to do something and make a step forward,” she said. “I think a lot of people are missing the point a little bit. I think the point isn’t to segregate us and for it to be a longterm thing where men and women race separately. It is for us to continue to race together, but it’s helping the level increase and more and more people to get involved.” Additional reporting by Tom Errington and Stefan Mackley