Russell: I could potentially have 20 victories, pole positions

George Russell reflects on the missed opportunities in recent F1 seasons, envisioning a different tally under old rules.

Mercedes F1 driver George Russell stated that if Mercedes F1 had continued to dominate against Red Bull and Max Verstappen, the last three seasons could have potentially allowed him to secure up to 20 victories and an equal number of pole positions.

The British driver remains confident that “his time will come,” having recently clinched his second career Grand Prix victory in Austria in July. And a third, cancelled, in Belgium.

Verstappen has won 34 of the 44 races in 2022 and 2023, a notable statistic as he secured two of his three world championships with record margins, setting especially the record for the most wins in a single season.

Russell’s sole victory during this period came at Interlagos in 2022.

“If these last three years had been included in the previous era of my team’s dominance, I could potentially have 20 victories, pole positions, and be competing for championships throughout these years,” Russell told The Times.

“My time will come. When I look at Fernando (Alonso) or Lewis (Hamilton), I think I still have 17 to 20 years ahead of me. We’ll all have our chance at some point.”

“It’s Max’s time. The era of Max. There’s no guarantee he’ll fight for the title every year in the future.”

“Who knows what will happen next? I just need to make sure I’m ready.”

“It wasn’t until I was 16 that I realized life wasn’t as simple as we thought when we were children, and that you couldn’t just rely on your speed and talent, you had to go beyond.”

“I think it was… to be honest, it was a bit hard for me for a year and a half, two years, not knowing what my future would be. It has been very beneficial to me now as a person.”