Russell Can Win Titles, Says 2016 Champion Rosberg

Nico Rosberg lauds George Russell’s exceptional qualifying pace, declaring him unmatched and a future world champion with the right car.

Nico Rosberg is impressed by George Russell’s one-lap pace. The former Mercedes F1 driver praises the Briton’s qualifying abilities, considering him at least on par with Max Verstappen, if not better.

“George can win the world championship. If Mercedes gives him a decent car, he can win the world championship,” said Rosberg. “In qualifying, no one is faster than him. I’d say there are equals like Verstappen, but he is phenomenal in qualifying.”

“In races, yes… but we must remember we’re always comparing him to the greatest of all time. It’s about comparing him to Lewis in the same car. Lewis is the greatest of all time. George is close, but I think he sometimes lacks a bit of race pace.”

However, the 2016 world champion has doubts about Russell’s ability to consistently have an effective race car: “I even have questions because, as a driver, you’re the one setting up the car.”

“You make the decision. I wonder if he might be a bit too aggressive, and you can always go a step too far in qualifying—ultra-fast but costing you in race setup.”

“Maybe he’s too focused on qualifying, or there’s something else. But he needs to find that little extra in the race. Even with how he drove this year, if the car is there, he can win, be world champion.”