F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Russell has 'duty to stay true' and not change in 2021

George Russell says he'll stay the course this year in F1, pushing Williams forward while keeping himself in line for a potential move to Mercedes for 2022.

Russell's one-off with the world championship winning team at Sakhir bolstered in the best way possible the young Briton's prospects of joining Mercedes in twelve months, possibly as Valtteri Bottas' replacement whose contract with the Black Arrows outfit runs out at the end of this season.

But despite his strong chances of taking his career to the next level in 2022, Russell insists he can't just sit back in anticipation and consider his upcoming season with Williams as a mere placeholder.

©Mercedes

"I think it’s continuing the form and continuing the positive attitude internally with the team and externally," said Russell when asked what he needed to do to secure his plum seat at Mercedes.

"It’s not getting frustrated with the poor performance here and continuing to try to push Williams further forward.

"I think Mercedes believe in me, they have given me the opportunity and they have always had my back.

"Now it’s sort of my duty that I stay true and that I don’t suddenly change over the course of next year because of certain circumstances and turn into something that I’m not currently."

As he heads into 2021 with the aim of improving Williams' position in the running order, Russell hopes to apply in the future a few of the important lessons he took away from his Sakhir GP weekend with Mercedes.

"I think the thing I’ve learned most is that you have to be adaptable," explained Russell. "My sort of driving style I did in the Williams actually hurt me slightly in the Mercedes.

"So when I came back to the Williams and I tried to implement some of the things that I did in that Bahrain race, but I couldn’t do it in the Williams, I think that sort of reinforced to me that you have to be open minded and you have to adapt to whatever the car is giving you.

"So if one guy drives like that in a Mercedes, it doesn’t mean you can drive like that in a Williams, and vice versa."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Leclerc confident Ferrari ‘has a shot’ at F1 Constructors’ title

Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari has a genuine “shot” at beating rival McLaren to Formula…

55 mins ago

Komatsu: F1 teams united against Audi 2026 cost-cap offset

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has revealed that nine Formula 1 teams stand in opposition…

2 hours ago

Las Vegas GP: Hamilton leads Mercedes 1-2 in trouble-free FP1

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell led the field in a chilly but trouble-free first practice…

3 hours ago

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix Free Practice 1 - Results

Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in the United…

3 hours ago

Aston Martin says performance shortfall led to Fallows exit

Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough has shed some light on why the team’s former…

13 hours ago

FIA clamps down on plank loophole after Red Bull complaint

The FIA has issued a pivotal Technical Directive to F1 teams ahead of this weekend’s…

14 hours ago