Russell bracing for 'most intense year in my life' in 2022

George Russell says a packed racing schedule with Mercedes coupled with a big ramp up of his marketing commitments with the Brackley squad point to a massively intense 2021 season.

Russell's opportunity to race with Mercedes comes with high expectations for the Briton but also with a full slate of off-track activities that are typically associated with a major automotive manufacturer.

At the end of last year, Russell said that he would cut off from his daily routines and recharge his batteries in the first half of January before jumping head on into his preparations for his 2022 campaign.

"I think I am going to take a good holiday at the start of the year," said the Mercedes driver in a season-ending sit down with the media.

"I believe that is important, because I think next year will be the most intense year of my life in terms of the racing schedule, but also from an off-track and marketing side of things.

"Going from Williams, where I have been pretty fortunate in a way, not having to do so many marketing activities just because of the nature of the position we’ve been in, to Mercedes, where we’ve got tons of sponsors and lots of commitments that drivers need to tend to.

"This will be also off the back of COVID. With all the drivers and all the teams, it is all going to ramp up because the partners have missed out on 18 months’ worth of activation.

"From a racing side and off-track side, it is going to be incredibly intense.

"So January, [I will] take 10 days off, a nice holiday, reset and then hit the ground running mid-to-end of January, then put everything on the table and go for it."

• Read also: Russell sees in-season development as key to success in 2022

Beyond his packed agenda, Russell's main focus is of course on his racing endeavors. And the 23-year-old is aware of the stakes and the magnitude of the challenge that awaits him regarding the mega star driver sitting on the other side of the Mercedes garage.

But Russell is relishing the opportunity to take his F1 career to the next big level.

"I’m really excited to see the new cars and what they offer for everybody," he said.

"That is really exciting, but also I am looking forward to being part of the development of a car that will be progressing drastically throughout a season, working with the designers, working on the simulator, putting lots of work in to progress.

"And then obviously teaming up with Lewis is obviously incredibly exciting. I am in a privileged position to be in to go alongside the best ever.

"It is an amazing opportunity to again progress myself as a driver and see how I fare."

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