Every F1 driver enters the sport with the dream of becoming world champion but most are unable to fulfill it. However, if Mercedes’ George Russell manages to become a champion someday, not only will he receive the championship trophy, but he will also receive a special honor from seven-time title winner Michael Schumacher’s chef.
The name of the chef here is Dave Freeman, who happens to own a golf course in Norfolk. The honor here is to have a hole named after Russell in Freeman’s golf course if the Briton becomes a world champion someday, as reported by the BBC.
Notably, Freeman became Schumacher’s favorite chef in the paddock after the German former driver tasted his sushi. Even though Schumacher had nothing to do with Honda, he loved Japanese food anyway. Freeman, who has experience of working as a chef for multiple teams in F1, went on to become the former Ferrari driver’s favorite.
Coming back to Russell, the Briton already spent six years in F1 and in all these years, he only had one race win. Therefore, he needs his team to ramp up their development to help him dethrone Max Verstappen and win the world championship.
Can George Russell win the World Championship?
After spending the first three seasons of his career with Williams, George Russell arrived at Mercedes in 2022. He had an impressive first year, and was able to defeat his legendary teammate Lewis Hamilton in the final standings.
However, the 2023 F1 season saw Hamilton take the throne in Mercedes again as Russell started struggling. Even though there is no direct competition between the two Silver Arrows drivers, Mercedes ramping up their development could bring them to conflict.
Hamilton has a history of being hostile to his teammates when the competition is high as seen in the case of Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, and Nico Rosberg. Therefore, Mercedes having a championship-worthy car could set the stage for yet another intra-team battle.
However, the day seems far away as Max Verstappen and Red Bull look ever-dominant. Even if Mercedes manages to develop their car, George Russell needs to keep Verstappen in check before he can tackle Hamilton within the team for the world championship. Still, he has the potential to win a championship, as many pundits have claimed since the Briton’s junior racing days.
