It was a complete turnaround for George Russell, as he went from a backmarker team to a top outfit in 2022. Nonetheless, the British driver was spot on with his consistency to prove his mettle for Mercedes. And despite competing against the 7-time champion Lewis Hamilton himself, Russell did not crumble under pressure. After getting the only win for the Silver Arrows, he has now become a championship-caliber driver for many.

Russell’s 2022 performances thoroughly impressed the 1978 F1 champion, Mario Andretti. The American veteran cited how George has got all the ingredients to be a World Champion. As per formulapassion.it, talking to the media, Andretti said, “For me, it is the revelation of 2022 in Formula 1.”

“Not only for the speed in qualifying, but also for what he demonstrated in the race, he [George Russell] is the so-called complete package for the [F1 world] title.” [translated via Google]

Mario may be spot on with pointing out Russell’s apt skill sets and caliber for winning the world championship. The 24-year-old managed to outscore Lewis Hamilton by 35 points in his first season.

Although, will George be able to handle the pressure of being a top-star driver for the Silver Arrows? F1 always becomes a game of handling pressure, especially in championship fights. So the Mercedes rookie will want to develop his pressure-handling skills for a big title fight.

Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes Supremacy Ends With One Blip of George Russell Success on Public Display at Brackley

The 2022 season gave a good glimpse of the young Brit fighting with the best in the business. Meanwhile, the Brackley team struggled for the most part, but Russell still managed to have battles with Max Verstappen and his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Is 2023 the year of George Russell?

George Russell is the type of guy who may suddenly surprise you to be consistent and super-quick in F1. Given his consistency and pace parity with Hamilton, Russell looks quite set, if Mercedes can deliver a quick car in 2023.

Despite Verstappen being on top of his powers, we may not underestimate the Mercedes rookie’s capabilities. His battles with the Dutchman in Spain and Brazil this year were spectacular to watch. It also reflected that George can match Max convincingly, as Lewis did in 2021.

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So, will he be the challenger to Max and Red Bull next season? Time will tell if he can maximize the Silver car’s potential as Verstappen does with his Red Bull car. But given his 2022 precedent, it is not a poor bet to place, if the Brackley team makes the W14 quicker.

It will still take a lot from Russell to take on Verstappen and his RB18 in a full-season battle. Plus, the unpredictable and even tougher challenge George faces will be with his teammate Lewis Hamilton. If the 7-time champion gets involved in this battle, then 2023 is set to be a blockbuster.

Watch This Story: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell Share Heartwarming Moment at Brazilian GP

So what do you think – Two Mercedes challengers against One Red Bull champion? Sounds great to think about. The real question is, can George Russell overcome these two world champions to prove his championship caliber? Let us know your thoughts.