Mercedes’ new driver George Russell insists that challenging for the Title is not on his mind ahead of his first full season with the team.
Russell’s long awaited move to Mercedes was made official in September of 2021. He replaces Valtteri Bottas at the team, who left the Silver Arrows after six seasons with them. The Finn will now race for Alfa Romeo Racing.
Given the fact that he’ll partner up alongside Lewis Hamilton at the team, many expect him to be on his teammate’s heels when it comes to challenging for the Title. Hamilton is going after his eighth World Title, but Russell will be in a competitive car for the first time in his young F1 career.
Despite having Championship expectations put on his shoulders, Russell insists that he isn’t sparing much thoughts on them. The 23-year old will go into the campaign with the same focus he had during his time at Williams.
Joining Mercedes after scrambling in the bottom places for the last three seasons will be a big step up for the young Brit. The Brackley based team have won eight consecutive Constructors’ titles, and will be looking to add to their tally.
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George Russell speaks about the unique mindset of F1 drivers
The new regulation changes ahead of the 2022 season are expected to shake the field up. Despite that, the F1 community feels certain that Mercedes will keep their place at the front of the grid.
In Russell’s first two seasons in F1, he wasn’t able to score a single point for Williams. His only points finish came at the 2020 Sakhir GP, where he stood in for Hamilton who was ruled out due to Covid.
2021 proved to be a much more successful year for Russell and Williams. Not only did he score 16 points, he also bagged home a 2nd place finish at the Belgian GP.
Now at Mercedes, he’ll likely get an opportunity to fight for wins and podiums every weekend. In spite of that, Russell is adamant that his mindset and approach will remain the same.
“It’s not even something I’m thinking about, to be honest,” said Russell. “I think it’s quite incredible how racing drivers’ minds work, that when you put the helmet on.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re fighting for the win. Or for me for the last few years, fighting at the back of grid. You always go in with the exact same mindset.”
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