At the beginning of the 2022 Formula 1 season, the trajectory that George Russell‘s career had taken was enviable. From driving what was arguably the most underwhelming car on the grid, a Williams, the Brit was strapped into the Mercedes W13. At the time, the Silver Arrows were on a dominant streak, having won all the constructors’ titles since 2014. That being said, what ensued in the season would’ve been tough for the Brit to cope with. Many hoped that in 2022, George Russell would fight his teammate, 7x champion Lewis Hamilton, for championship glory. However, the duo only ended up being 4th and 6th, respectively.

Even though from a practical standpoint, Mercedes’ 2022 was a disaster, Russell, who was nicknamed ‘Mr. Consistency’, still beat the GOAT of the sport. At the end of the day, he won on points, in equal machinery. But for the lad from Kings Lynn, there was one other moment from that tumultuous season that trumps everything else he achieved during the year. For any young driver, their first-ever Grand Prix win is the most special. For Russell, it came at the 2022 Brazilian GP.

On the famous Sao Paulo track, he fended off Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to claim his maiden F1 win. And for him, this was the highlight of his year. While speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Russell said, “For me, that victory in Brazil was more important than the points classification. At the end of the day, nobody remembers that I beat Lewis [Hamilton] on points. I only finished fourth, so no man’s land.” [translated via Google Translate]

Quietly Confident George Russell Wary of “On Paper” Advantage Over Max Verstappen & Co. Despite 2022 Dominance

The inter-team dynamic between Hamilton and Russell is an interesting proposition after last season. But Russell believes there is only one way of dealing with Lewis Hamilton.

The key to Mercedes’ success lies in the hands of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is a tough act to follow. He is an even tougher prospect to beat. But Russell managed to do that in his very first season with the team. Naturally, this would change the dynamics within the team as the young pretender is hot on the heels of the waning superstar.

Russell spoke about this with AMuS. He began, “Lewis and I, it worked because we know that we can take the team further together than against each other. If there were problems with driver pairings in the past, it was perhaps also because the age difference was smaller and because of the supremacy in the team was fought. We don’t have that.”

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The 24-year-old, however, knows the cost of disarray. “If the good relationship with Lewis were to break down, it would do nothing for the team and hurt us over time.”

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Can Russell repeat the feat of beating Lewis Hamilton for the second time in a row in 2023? Or will the Hamilton of old arrive once again to demolish the entire grid?