Alonso has great message for Russell: "George, you are very strong"
General
- GPblog.com
Fernando Alonso is very enthusiastic about George Russell. The Alpine driver knows that it is difficult for Russell to shine in a Williams car, but according to Alonso, it is now clear what the young Briton is capable of.
Qualifying beast
"This year the technical package is slightly improved, but that was certainly not the case in the previous two seasons," Alonso is quoted as saying by FormulaPassion.it. However, the two-time world champion was able to enjoy Russell in recent years. "It was nice to see something special from him every weekend." Russell managed to surprise on occasion in qualifying, while teammate Nicholas Latifi was at the back of the grid with no chance.
Williams' package may be a little better in 2021, but the British team is often down in the races. It's not the starting positions that are the problem, as Russell managed to reach Q2 in all six Grands Prix this year. In terms of pace on Sundays, the pace is not great, or is Russell simply better than his car in qualifying?
In any case, Alonso is impressed. When the two drivers changed helmets in Monaco Alonso wrote on his own helmet: "George, you are strong, you are a future world champion." The Spaniard himself started in Formula 1 with the small Minardi and so there are similarities between the two drivers.
Russell excels
It is very likely that Russell will replace Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes next season. He already made his debut for the German formation in 2020. "Last year in Bahrain he almost won the race while only driving a competitive car for the first time. That was a race that certainly opened everyone's eyes in terms of how good he is," Alonso concluded.