George Russell to avoid studying Lewis Hamilton ahead of Mercedes debut

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton — Photo: © LAT Images

Mercedes

Russell to avoid studying Hamilton ahead of Mercedes debut

The two drivers are due to become partners this year

Ian Parkes

Sunday 16 January 2022 09:30

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George Russell is to avoid studying Lewis Hamilton ahead of partnering his fellow Briton at Mercedes for the forthcoming F1 season.

After three years of learning his craft with back-of-the-grid Williams, Russell finally has the opportunity to prove he is a potential champion in the making with Mercedes.

As with Valtteri Bottas before him, Russell joins the team with the intention of forging a winning partnership but also of proving he can stand on his own two feet with the seven-time champion on the other side of the garage.

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Bottas ultimately found Hamilton carried too much sway inside Mercedes and was often forced to play second fiddle.

As to whether Russell will take the opportunity to study Hamilton in a bid to gain any kind of edge going into the new season, in an end-of-season interview that included GPFans, Russell said: “No, there won't be any studying of Lewis.

"That's because the reason that makes him so great is because of his adapting to situations.

“We've got a brand-new car. Nobody knows what the best way to drive that car [will be].

“I'm sure a Mercedes 2022 car will be different to a Mercedes 2021 car and compared to a Red Bull as well, and a Ferrari and a McLaren.

"They're all going to have their little quirks about them."

Russell preparing for Mercedes intensity

Before joining the team Russell is currently enjoying "a good holiday" as he is aware the dedication required on track will need to be matched off it given the intense workload he will face with regard to marketing and media commitments.

"It will be the most intense year of my life in terms of racing and schedule, but also from the off-the-track marketing side of things as well," assessed Russell.

“Going from Williams where I've been pretty fortunate I haven't had to do so many marketing activities because of the nature of the position we've been in, to Mercedes where we've tons of sponsors, lots of commitments that the drivers need to attend to.

“This will also be, off the back of Covid, for all the drivers and all the teams, it's all going to ramp up because the partners have missed out on 18 months' worth of activation.

“From a racing side, an off-track side, it's going to be incredibly intense, so with a nice holiday, a reset, I'll hit the ground running mid to end of January, and put everything on the table and go for it.”