The arrival of George Russell at Mercedes is eagerly awaited by many. After five years in the Mercedes junior program and three Formula 1 seasons at Williams, the Briton is switching to one of the Silver Arrows for the 2022 season and has the opportunity to work with a leading team.
In an interview with “Motorsport.com” at the end of the season, Russell classified the new task and said that 2022 should be his busiest year in racing, given the move to Mercedes in combination with the record calendar of 23 races.
“I’ll have a good vacation at the beginning of the year,” announced Russell. “I think that’s important because I think the next year will be the most intense year of my life, not just in terms of the racing calendar, but also in terms of marketing and things off the track.”
Russell is getting ready for more work
At Williams he was “in a certain way lucky” not to have to do so many marketing activities. “Just because we were in the position we were in.”
The Brit knows that this will change with the move to Mercedes. “There we have a lot of sponsors and a lot of obligations that the drivers have to take care of. (…) It will be incredibly intense both on and off the racetrack.”
“In January I’ll be on vacation for ten days, relax and then get started again in mid to late January, put everything on the table and get started,” he looks ahead.
Russell will join a team that aims to continue his streak of eight design engineering titles under the new technical regulations that have been revised for this year. For Russell it is the first real chance to be at the forefront in Formula 1 after most of his three-year stint at Williams, he was usually only able to fight for the lower ranks.
At the 2020 Sachir Grand Prix, the 23-year-old competed once for Mercedes when he represented Lewis Hamilton after he tested positive for Corona. Russell qualified second and led the race for a long time before late-breaking tire problems prevented him from winning.
New team, new team-mate, new car
Russell is looking forward to working with Hamilton and the opportunity to participate in the development of the new car, as is the new generation of cars in general. “I’m really excited about the new cars and what they have to offer for everyone,” says the Briton, referring to the rules for 2022.
“It’s really exciting, but I’m also looking forward to being part of developing a car that will improve dramatically over the course of a season; working with the designers, working on the simulator and putting a lot of work into progress. “
“I’m sure that whoever is fastest in the first race won’t necessarily win,” he hopes for a new balance of power, “and I’m sure that there will be some interesting designs and maybe some underdogs too prevail in the first tests or races. “
It’s about who can develop the fastest and best and lay the foundations for the years to come. “This is a page that I’m really looking forward to from a technical point of view,” emphasizes the Mercedes driver. “And then of course it’s incredibly exciting to work with Lewis. I’m in the privileged position to work with the best of all time.”
For him personally this is “a great opportunity” to develop as a driver and to see where he stands in direct comparison with the seven-time champion.
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