Russell: Driving Style Key to Success, Not Generational

George Russell highlights his driving style as crucial to excelling in modern F1, distancing it from any generational advantage.

George Russell proved to be a solid teammate to Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes F1 between 2022 and 2024. The young Briton takes pride in having been fast in ground-effect cars over the past three years, even though he was already strong in the previous generation of cars. He believes it simply comes down to being comfortable with their handling characteristics.

“I think my natural driving style has probably worked well in these cars,” Russell said. “But my qualifying results against my teammates in the previous generation were good across all categories, and my qualifying performances have been excellent.”

“I don’t think there’s anything specific about this generation, but obviously, Lewis has been my toughest teammate, so I think that’s why it’s been highlighted a bit more.”

Russell also takes pride in his progression over the seasons and even within seasons, thanks to his growing understanding: “You learn throughout the season what to do to get the best out of the tires, how to maximize the car’s strengths, and what to avoid with its weaknesses.”

“I know exactly where the car’s strengths and weaknesses lie and what I need to be cautious about. I think I’ve done quite well in closing that chapter, moving forward, and learning from it, whereas my younger self would probably have dwelled on something for longer.”

“I remember in 2022, I had a series of very bad races. It was the first time that season I wasn’t on pace compared to Lewis. It was the first time in my career I wasn’t on pace, and it probably affected me for one or two more races.”

“Now, even in an FP3 session, if I’m behind him, or even in Q2, if I’m behind him, I don’t stress. I know that what happened before doesn’t matter. It’s that Q3 lap that makes the difference.”