George Russell
George Russell made his debut in Formula 1 with Williams the year after winning the Formula 2 championship in 2018. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the best time to join the team as they were experiencing financial difficulties and struggled to compete at the back of the grid. Although Williams has since made progress and is moving towards the midfield, Russell won’t be staying with the team. In 2022, the British driver is making a big move to Mercedes.
George Russell Biography
| Personal Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | George William Russell |
| Team | Mercedes |
| Date of Birth | February 15, 1998 |
| Place of Birth | King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England |
| Height | 1.85m |
| Weight | 70kg |
| Nationality | British |
| Race Number | 63 |
| F1 Career | Stats |
|---|---|
| Total WC points | 294 |
| Races participated | 82 |
| Victories | 1 |
| Podium finishes | 9 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
Further British Triumphs After Lewis Hamilton
George Russell’s career started in karting like many other young drivers. In 2014, he transitioned to Formula Renault 2.0, finishing fourth in the championship and winning the last race of the season. Russell also participated in two rounds of the Eurocup in the same class. The following year, he moved to Formula 4 and won the championship in his first season, earning a chance to test a GP3 car and compete in the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, which he won. This victory led to a Formula 1 test with McLaren and set Russell on the path to the premier class.
Developing
George Russell’s career progression differed from that of Lance Stroll’s, as he took the time to build experience by spending two seasons in Formula 3, followed by a year in the GP3 class and a year in Formula 2.
Russell finished third in the 2016 Formula 3 championship, while the following year he won the GP3 title with ART Grand Prix. In 2017, Mercedes included Russell in their junior programme, where he was one of three drivers in the Mercedes academy.
During his Formula 2 season, Russell won the championship with ART, despite a rough start to the year, beating fellow F1 rookie Lando Norris. He was also allowed to participate in several free practice and tyre tests for Mercedes-related teams in Formula 1, in order to prepare for his debut race in the premier class.
Russell made his Formula One debut with Williams, after finding the only available seat as the Formula Two champion. Unfortunately, Williams was in dire financial straits and performed poorly during Russell’s time there. Nonetheless, Russell managed to outperform his teammate and win the qualifying duel with a score of 21-0, but it remains unclear whether this was due to Russell’s skill or his teammate’s poor form.
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George Russell: Stepping Up to Mercedes
After beating his former F2 rival Nicholas Latifi in both qualifying and the race in 2019, George Russell faced him again as his teammate in 2020. Despite driving for a team struggling at the back of the grid, Russell impressed with his performances throughout the season. He narrowly missed out on his first points in Imola due to a crash, but a golden opportunity arose for him at the following race in Bahrain.
When Lewis Hamilton was forced to miss the race due to a positive COVID-19 test, Russell was given the chance to fill in for the seven-time world champion. Despite facing various challenges, including strategic errors by Mercedes, Russell managed to finish in ninth place and set the fastest lap, earning his first points in Formula 1. However, he had to return to Williams for the next race in Abu Dhabi as Hamilton had recovered.
Russell’s Move to Mercedes after the 2021 Season
In 2021, George Russell achieved some notable success with Williams, including a second-place finish in the rain-interrupted Belgian Grand Prix. However, due to the limitations of the Williams car, the team focused its efforts on the 2022 season. During the summer of 2021, Mercedes announced that George Russell would replace Valtteri Bottas in the 2022 season, after the young British driver had spent three years with Williams. This move had been expected ever since Russell filled in for Lewis Hamilton during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.
George Russell in 2022
George Russell had the chance to step up from Williams and compete near the top of the grid in 2022 as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes. However, things didn’t go according to plan as the W13 car struggled with issues such as porpoising, leaving the Silver Arrows off the pace compared to Red Bull and Ferrari. Despite this, Russell managed to secure his first podium for the team in Australia, and consecutively finished in the points for the initial events of the season.
Russell suffered his only DNF of the year due to a frightening crash with Zhou Guanyu at the British Grand Prix. However, he bounced back and managed to claim several podiums before achieving his emotional debut victory in F1 at the penultimate race of the season in Brazil. He even led Hamilton to a 1-2 result. Russell finished the year in fourth place in the World Championship standings.
George Russell in 2023
George Russell will compete alongside Lewis Hamilton for a second consecutive season at Mercedes in 2023, with hopes of being able to fight for the World Championship. The British driver has expressed his intention of having a strong winter and feels fully prepared for the challenge. Meanwhile, Mercedes has given fans a glimpse of their preparations for the upcoming season by sharing footage of Russell having a seat fitting at the team’s factory.
George Russell biography George Russell biography George Russell biography George Russell biography
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