Hamilton "superhero" meeting offered Russell career clarity

George Russell has revealed that meeting Lewis Hamilton in 2009 provided clarity of thought that "I want to be like him".

Russell will race alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2022 after three years with Williams, helping the team recover from the back of the grid to midfield battlers.

After being announced as Valtteri Bottas' replacement at Mercedes, photos circulated of a young Russell meeting his future team-mate while racing in karts.

“To be honest, I even remember it now," said Russell. "It’s quite odd to remember a memory back from when you were 11 years old. In a way, it feels pretty surreal to be lining up alongside him next year.

“I guess, when I did meet him, that is when I thought ‘I want to be like him. I want to be a Formula 1 driver and I want to win world championships'."

At the time of his meeting, Hamilton had raced two seasons in F1 but had already secured a world title to his name after finishing a point shy in his rookie season.

“I believe that was 2009," added Russell, referring to the time he met Hamilton.

"But Lewis turned up to PFI [a karting track], I think it was at the Formula Kart Stars. I was racing in Comer Cadet at the time and it was like meeting a superhero.

“When you’re a child of that age, especially a racing driver, and you meet a Formula 1 driver, you don’t think these people are human and that was a really special moment for me."

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