Claire Williams recalls agony of blocking Russell’s Mercedes move

Former Williams Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams has revealed the emotional and professional turmoil she faced in refusing to let George Russell leave for Mercedes before the end of his contract with the Grove-based team.

Russell, who joined Williams in 2019 as the reigning Formula 2 champion, spent three full seasons with the team during some of its most difficult years in terms of competitiveness.

While his contemporaries Lando Norris and Alex Albon quickly found themselves in midfield or top-tier seats, Russell remained point-less for two years at the British outfit despite standout performances, including a sensational front-row qualifying effort at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.

But behind the scenes, Mercedes had already shown keen interest in bringing its junior driver into its factory fold to partner Lewis Hamilton.

Standing Her Ground

Williams subsequently faced a dilemma: let go of their young star or stand firm and hold him to the terms of his three-year contract, for the team’s sake.

“George wanted to go to Mercedes in that last couple of years and I couldn't let him go and I hated that,” Williams admitted, as she explained on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“It makes me upset to think about it. I needed him, I felt, more than Mercedes and he was in contract. If I let him go, what message would that have sent? What would that have done to my team if I'd have let George go?

“He was one of the greatest things that we had at Williams. When you go into a negotiation with a team like Mercedes and they're not offering you what they should be for your A-star driver, then why would you just let him go?

“What kind of Team Principal would I have been if I'd have just let George go because Mercedes said, ‘we want George now’. That's not how it works, is it?”

Building Resilience

Williams described the emotional weight of the situation, knowing her decision could potentially stall Russell’s career – while also facing his understandable frustration.

“[George] was clearly upset and it was really difficult,” she added. “It was very hard to stand my ground because if someone comes to me and they're upset, and it's because of me because I'm a blocker, it's really hard – but I had to put my team first.

“As much as I would have loved to have made George's dreams come true, I couldn't at the time, and that was one of the hardest parts of being a Team Principal for me.

“And I always said to George: you will be grateful for this one day because it will build resilience in you, it will build strength.”

Russell’s Rise Validates Tough Choice

Russell would eventually get his shot at Mercedes in 2022, where he competed alongside Hamilton until the end of last season, when the seven-time world champion indulged in a blockbuster move to Ferrari.

Reflecting on her time with a host of star drivers at Williams, Claire Williams singled out Russell for his exceptional long-term potential.

“I was so lucky that I had Felipe [Massa], I had Valtteri [Bottas], I had all these brilliant drivers. I’d put them in, when I had them at Williams, all kind of roughly the same space,” she explained.

“But I think George had the greatest level of potential to go on and be, I think, a World Champion. And I see it.

“I've watched the start of this season. George is on a different level. And this is what I think you see with drivers and what you’ve seen with Max [Verstappen] over the past two or three years, they tip into that zone of just absolute superstardom, and George is there now.

“I saw a video of George in the gym the other day. I mean, he looks like the Terminator. That’s where you’re stepping up a gear.”

Claire Williams’ principled decision to retain Russell, though difficult, now seems like an important chapter in the making of a driver poised to become one of F1’s next champions.

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