George Russell 'best I've raced against' - Nicholas Latifi

Williams

Russell 'best I've raced against' - Latifi

Russell and Latifi remain as Williams team-mates for the new season

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Sunday 14 February 2021 18:59

Nicholas Latifi has said he rates Williams team-mate George Russell as the best partner he has raced against in his career.

Russell is one of Formula 1's brightest young talents after impressing across his first two seasons in the sport, with many touting the Briton as next in line for a Mercedes seat.

Latifi, who joined the F1 grid last season, was impressed with Russell's qualifying ability and suggested his team-mate was the best he had seen performance-wise on a Saturday.

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"I think what gets noticed the most, not only from drivers but from the general public, is the Saturday [performance]," he explained.

"Obviously, so much emphasis is on the qualifying because it is kind of showing your potential, showing your speed.

"Also, the fact that he is exceptionally good on Saturdays, putting laps together, getting close to the maximum from the car consistently because he very rarely ahs things go wrong, whether that is from a mistake in the lap or a mistake in the preparation or what have you.

"It is just always being put together. I think that is what gets noticed the most and I obviously, being his team-mate, seeing his data and the consistency of that, it is one of his strong points.

"It is probably, from my other experience with other team-mates, he is probably one of the best on a Saturday that I have raced against. So that is obviously a really big part of what being a racing driver is."

Russell was able to reach Q2 on nine occasions last year for a team that was regularly seconds off the pace the season previous.

But Latifi was even more impressed with the consistent nature of his team-mate's performances.

"Besides the outright speed, it is just the consistency because it is very rare that he makes a mistake which is also an important part of being a racing driver," he added.

"So I think these qualities for these people that are inside the team or inside the sport - other drivers - it is very clear to see these traits that shine through."