George Russell reveals how Lewis Hamilton might have SAVED his career

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Russell reveals how Hamilton might have SAVED his career

He acknowledged the importance of having the seven-time world champion at Mercedes

Luis Raya

Friday 15 September 2023 16:42

George Russell has revealed that Hamilton's presence at Mercedes when he joined the team as they declined could have saved him from having all fingers pointed at him.

In an interview with the BBC, the British driver has reflected on his racing career and his future with Mercedes. On a more personal note, Russell has admitted to being afraid of water when he was a child, a fear he has overcome, as seen during the summer break when he enjoyed water sports as a way to disconnect.

The King's Lynn driver also spoke about his future with Mercedes, following the confirmation of his and Hamilton's two-year contract extensions. For Russell, the renewal was 'almost a formality,' demonstrating his strong commitment to the team going forward.

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The 25-year-old driver showered his teammate with praise, describing him as 'the greatest of all time' and acknowledging the many lessons he has learned during their two years working together.

Russell joined Mercedes in 2022, a season in which the team began to decline after their golden era of dominance, and he believes that Hamilton's continued presence may have had a significant impact on his sports career.

"I joked with him once last season that he almost effectively saved my career," Russell said.

"Had he retired the year before I joined Mercedes, and then as a team we're not performing, all the fingers will be pointing at the driver. So actually having him there, with his respect is huge."

The fact that the seven-time world champion was at Mercedes reflected that it was not the drivers who were underperforming, but rather the car that had been outperformed by several teams. Without Hamilton, everyone would have pointed to Russell as the reason for the decline.

On the drivers' title and chasing Red Bull

Russell has achieved his only podium of 2023 to date at the Spanish Grand Prix

2023 hasn't been the best season for either Mercedes or Russell. The team has only achieved four podiums, three of which were secured by Hamilton. Despite being second in the constructors' championship, the gap to Red Bull is immense, and Ferrari and Aston Martin are not far behind.

However, Russell remains cautiously optimistic for the future and says the team will do everything they can to close the gap to Red Bull.

"I'm extremely confident every single individual is working as hard as they can to achieve the fastest car possible for next year," he said. "That's the only promise I can give because racing is a relative game."

On the possibility of being world champion in the future, the Briton hates the expression 'I'm here waiting for my chance' and believes that, like other drivers such as Leclerc or Norris, he is working as hard as possible to be ready to win when they have a car to match.

"It's the landscape of Formula 1 at the moment. All you can do as an individual is perform at your very best, and make sure you're ready to fight when you've got the car beneath you," he said.

"I think it is always important to look at others for inspiration," he added, referring to whether they can learn from Verstappen's dominance. "But to take your own path. We're all different individuals."