GEORGE RUSSELL SUPPORTS MERCEDES TEAMMATE LEWIS HAMILTON TO COME BACK STRONGER THIS F1 SEASON; ‘I HAVE NO DOUBT’.
George Russell finished fourth at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix last time out while Lewis Hamilton came home a point-less 13th. Russell has enjoyed greater success than Hamilton in the W13 car this year, but he is certain the seven-time world champion will come back stronger and will “push him all the way”.
George Russell says he has “no doubts” his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton will come back stronger this season.
Russell currently sits fourth in the championship standings, 21 points and three places ahead of Hamilton.
But the 24-year-old believes seven-time champion Hamilton will bounce back.
“Lewis has clearly got the pace,” Russell told Sky Sports. “He’s incredibly fast and he’s showed that so far this year, but it’s just been tricky for us as a team to get it done when the time is needed.
“When things have been more stable, Lewis has still been massively fast.
“I know there was a bit of a blip last weekend but I have no doubt he’s going to come back and the way he’s pushing the team and motivating the team is truly inspiring.
“We all want more. He wants more. Nobody is happy with the position we’re in currently.”
Russell admits the car is a “nightmare to drive” and does “not really feel like a proper racing car”.
“We are equally struggling,” he said. “When the car is so far out of bed and it’s not in the right window, it doesn’t really feel like a proper racing car to drive.
“Perhaps with my struggles at Williams, with very difficult cars, maybe that’s helped in some small regard.
“But Lewis will come back stronger, I have no doubt. He’s definitely going to be pushing me all the way. I’m not getting comfortable in this position because I know what he’s capable of.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has been impressed with Russell’s strong start to the season.
“I’m very impressed with how he’s settled in,” he said. “How professionally and analytically he is helps us to assess the situation.
“The combination [of Russell and Hamilton], that’s one of the very few highlights I have at the moment on our journey – how the two of them work together with no friction.
“On the contrary, it is very, very productive and positive for the team and I couldn’t be happier with the driver line-up.
“We have two of maybe the three best drivers and they deserve a car and a power unit that makes them fight in the front rather than being lapped. That’s not what any of them deserves.”
