“As a driver, you are feeling assured in your potential. However in F1, it’s all about timing. Proper place, proper time…”
George Russell was in the fitting place at precisely the fitting time when a stand-in for Lewis Hamilton was wanted on the Sakhir Grand Prix. Due to a shocking efficiency that merited the victory Russell was so cruelly denied, it’s now a matter of when, not if, he turns into a full-time member of the all-conquering Mercedes-AMG grand prix crew.
However being in the fitting place on the proper time isn’t about dumb luck. Russell has been groomed as a possible successor to Hamilton lengthy earlier than his Sakhir alternative. Since Mercedes signed him as a junior virtually 4 years in the past, he has excelled at each degree and, at simply 22, has been polished right into a diamond. Russell had by no means pushed the W11 earlier than Friday free follow in Bahrain, but he ended the weekend doing a satisfactory impression of the champ behind the wheel. Neglect the rhetoric concerning the automobile doing the work: it takes a particular driver to do this.
However Russell isn’t an empty vessel formed by Mercedes, and he brings the perfect mentality. He’s a cultured, presentable character off observe with actual intelligence and focus. Had been you to talk to him with out data of his career, Russell would encourage confidence that he knew what he was doing no matter his commerce.
You’d additionally see that he’s very a lot his personal man. Mercedes might push him and mildew him, however Russell pushes himself tougher. Russell has taken what he learns from Mercedes, somewhat than counting on being spoon-fed. That’s the identical mentality that ensured he didn’t play himself in gently on his Mercedes debut.
“There’s just a few sides to that,” he says. “There’s me inherently; the times I spent with Mercedes as their reserve driver meant I realized there was much more to being an entire F1 driver than simply leaping within the automobile and driving as quick as you’ll be able to.
“That chance, being surrounded by them, made me recognise how I wanted to enhance from a technical and advertising and marketing perspective, simply to attempt to be a extra full particular person and driver.
“F1 is like no different. It’s ruthless, and it’s important to excel in all areas otherwise you’re going to be chewed up and spat out. I recognised that early, and I’ve been working ever since to develop into higher and higher.”
In his first 35 races in F1, Russell did that in an uncompetitive Williams. However there was no sense of entitlement holding him again; he didn’t use the poor equipment as an excuse to coast. Extra drivers than you would possibly assume would – however they’re those who not often make it to the highest and, in the event that they do, by no means keep there.
Russell treats each race as a chance to impress, and that ensured Mercedes turned to him when Hamilton examined constructive for Covid-19. As Russell himself put it, had he been off-form, he won’t have been given the prospect. However within the Bahrain Grand Prix that preceded his huge break, he had certified and completed 14th in a automobile that couldn’t have executed any higher.
