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BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes GP prepares to drive on the grid before the F1 Grand Prix of Sakhir at Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images)
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BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes GP prepares to drive on the grid before the F1 Grand Prix of Sakhir at Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images)
George Russell got a brilliant opportunity to show off his skills at the highest level when he filled in for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the race in Bahrain. The Briton immediately impressed throughout the weekend and put his name up in lights as a future Silver Arrows driver. Although he may be at Williams this season, he dreams of the day he can compete with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and other top drivers on the grid.
Russell may get his golden opportunity as early as 2022. But instead of replacing Hamilton, who has only signed a one-year contract, George would like to race alongside him and put his talent to the test. He also mentioned two other drivers whom he rates very highly and wants to do battle with.
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: ART Grand Prix Formula 2 driver George Russell of Great Britain and Williams F1 and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP talk in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit on November 22, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
At the unveiling of Williams’ newest car, he said, “Every driver wants to put themselves against the best. I believe in myself and Lewis is the benchmark at the moment but equally you’ve got a lot of fantastic drivers out there who might not have the same CV as Lewis but, Max, Charles, Lewis, they’re all on the same level.
“Pitting yourselves against any one of those three would be great for any driver.”
But unfortunately for the Briton, he won’t be able to do that this year. At Williams, his targets and expectations will be very different.
George Russell would want to score his first points for Williams in 2021
Despite his amazing skill which he frequently demonstrated last year, especially during qualifying, a points finish always evaded Russell. He came close on a few occasions, but it looked as though luck was against him.
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Formula One F1 – Sakhir Grand Prix – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – Mercedes’ George Russell in action during practice Pool via REUTERS/Tolga Bozoglu
His shot with Mercedes saw him open his points tally in F1 after almost two years of being in the sport. However, scoring his first points with a team that’s basically a current backmarker will mean so much more to the Briton.
He’d obviously also want to further his case for the Mercedes seat, and what better way to do that than achieving a handful of points with one of the worst cars on the grid.
However, it’ll be easier said than done. The mid-field will be extremely competitive, and it’ll take a good dose of luck for Russell to achieve his targets.
Can the Williams driver finally end his points drought with the Grove-based outfit? We shall soon find out.
Also Read: ‘Was I Being a Jerk?’ – Claire Williams Had Major Insecurities About Leading Williams F1
