George Russell Explains His Excitement at Partnering With Lewis Hamilton in the Future at Mercedes F1

George Russell has long been rumored to join Mercedes next year to drive alongside Lewis Hamilton. The 23-year-old is in his last year of contract with the Willams and is reported to replace Valtteri Bottas.

The Williams driver knows what challenges he will have to overcome if he puts pen to paper with the Silver Arrows for the 2022 season. He is well aware of good Hamilton is behind the wheel, and the young Briton is prepared to give it his all, if they become teammates.

George Russell knows how tough Lewis Hamilton is

Speaking to RTL, Russell said, “Absolutely. You know having the opportunity to be teammates with a guy like Lewis would be amazing because, in my opinion, he is the best of the best.”

“There is no argument in that, his stats are definitely the greatest of all time. If you want to be the best, going against the best is the only way and I am sure any driver would learn so much from Lewis, with all his experience & the mutual respect he has with many people, “ the Brit concluded.

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When will George know about his future?

WIth his one-off race for the Brackley-based squad last year, when he filled in for Hamilton at the Sakhir GP. Russell certainly turned heads in the Mercedes’ board room, forcing them to consider him as an option.

Now in 2021, that dream is starting to translate into reality – Bottas’ contract is expiring at the same time as Russell’s deal with the Grove-based team.

However, one person has clarity over the whole saga and that is Mercedes’ Team Principal, Toto Wolff. The Austrian boss has suggested that the much-awaited announcement will happen during the summer break, which is after the Hungarian GP.

He said, ” [We are] also happy Valtteri’s racing in Austria in my opinion was really good and he needs to consolidate that. He’s a known factor.

“In the same way we know the strengths and weaknesses of George, and that decision is going to be made during the summer. First [we will have] discussions with George and Valtteri and then hopefully we are sorted before the end of the season.

“We value them both for their strengths and for what they can contribute to the team, “ Wolff explained.

Who do you think will get the keys to the second seat at the Silver Arrows? Will the team continue its partnership with Finland’s Bottas? Or will they have Russell behind the wheel and form an all-English driver lineup next season? Let us know your predictions in the comments below.

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