Russell 'unique' F1 upbringing reaps Mercedes rewards

George Russell has revealed how his time at Williams helped him prepare for the step up to Mercedes.

The British driver moved to Mercedes last season and hit the ground running, securing top-five finishes in each race up to his home round at Silverstone despite the Silver Arrows' early campaign difficulties.

Russell also secured the team's only pole position and victory of the season en route to finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' standings.

His F1 education began at the back of the grid with Williams, largely fighting for scraps and the occasional point across three years with the Grove-based team.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton on 'psychological rollercoaster' for F1 drivers

“The experience I gained at Williams for sure was really important for my growth," Russell told GPFans.

"There were experiences that some other drivers don't get the opportunities to face with a very, very challenging car, fighting at the back of the field.

“It was very difficult to keep morale high within the team because everyone was spending so much time away from family to compete for nothing, to compete for no points for two years. It was very difficult for the team to endure.

“That made me stronger as a person and I'm sure it's going to help me in the future."

Mercedes struggles 'make us stronger'

Mercedes will be hoping to fight back from the difficulties of last year having slumped to third in the constructors' standings.

“Obviously now being at Mercedes, we've also had some challenging times for different reasons," added Russell.

"But these experiences make you stronger and I'm sure we'll be thankful for them this season."

READ MORE: 'It's like crashing a bus' - Russell concerned about dangers of F1 cars

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