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Robson thinks Russell is a match for Hamilton in style and attitude
- GPblog.com
Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton are both Britons who managed to win at least one world title in Formula 1. George Russell should become the next in that line. The 23-year old driver made the switch from Williams to Mercedes this winter and so he finally seems to have the material with which that is possible. Dave Robson is enthusiastic about Russell's abilities.
Robson, Williams' head of vehicle performance, worked as Button's race engineer at McLaren in 2010. Lewis Hamilton was the other driver at the Woking formation at the time. Thus, the Briton has some frame of reference when it comes to assessing the qualities of Russell.
Driving style Russell
Over the past three years, Robson has been able to witness Russell's development up close. When Motorsport.com asked about the differences, he replied that Russell's driving style actually falls a bit in between that of Hamilton and Button. According to Robson Russell's style and attitude is 'absolutely not' inferior to the two men who have both won a World Championship.
Much in 2022 will depend on how Russell deals with the new climate he finds himself in at Mercedes. Within the organization, there will be a different way of working than was the case at Williams and on top of that there will be more external pressure. The question is how Russell deals with this and how long he needs to get used to a different environment.
Fiercer battle at the front
In addition, the Mercedes car may not be as dominant next season as it has been in recent years. Due to the new regulations, all teams are starting again at the proverbial zero. Russell himself does not exclude the possibility that in 2022 he will have to fight with five teams for podiums. He does not rule out that racing team like McLaren, Ferrari and Alpine have closed the gap (to a large extent).