“He’s one of those younger kids that I think has now proven himself” – Daniel Ricciardo mightily impressed with George Russell

“He’s one of those younger kids that I think has now proven himself” – Daniel Ricciardo mightily impressed with George Russell.

The next-gen stars of Formula 1 are a delight to watch, and they have certainly impressed Daniel Ricciardo. The likes of Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, have taken the grid by a storm. But for Ricciardo, one stands out most from this season – George Russell.

The Brit, famously known as ‘Mr. Saturday’ for his qualifying exploits, has shown the potential of being an F1 champion this decade. He was ‘promoted’ to Mercedes for a race, to replace Lewis Hamilton. And the junior Brit could have won the race, if not for troubles with his pit crew and tyres. Daniel Ricciardo was speaking on the In the Fast Lane podcast about George Russell.

“It’s hard to know how good they are until they step up towards the front of the grid – not only to see if they are fast enough but also if they can handle the pressure of being up at the front.”

“George didn’t need to get pole [in Bahrain] to kind of prove he’s got the talent, but he was so close. I think the more impressive thing for him was to get a good start, get into the lead, and control a big part of that race. That’s where he really earned his stripes.”

“I think he proved that yes, the car is amazing and whatnot, but he proved he is certainly the real deal. He’s one of those younger kids that I think has now proven himself.”

Also read: “It sounds sweet!” – Daniel Ricciardo mightily impressed with Fernando Alonso and his 2005 title-winning Renault R25 V10