Leclerc calls for more appreciation for Russell: 'That's very difficult'

We are still not sure whether George Russell will be driving for Mercedes in 2022 or will have to stay with Williams for another year. However, Charles Leclerc once again stresses how good he thinks Russell is.

When you put the careers of Russell and Leclerc next to each other you come across quite a few similarities. Both won the GP3 Series and the Formula 2 championship in their first season and broke through in Formula 1 with a junior team. After a strong year at Alfa Romeo, Leclerc was thrown to the lions at Ferrari, while Russell has been at the back of the field for three years now.

Max Verstappen and Leclerc said on Thursday that they are in favour of giving Russell a chance, but Leclerc also explains what makes Russell so good. Often people point to the fact that he hasn't scored any points for so long, but Leclerc thinks that his qualifying should be looked at more.

''To do one special lap at any given time is very, very difficult. And also for the best drivers on the grid it is very, very difficult. However, in a race we don't push 100% like in qualifying. So it shows a bit more the performance of the car'', said the Monegasque according to The Race.

''I can see what George is going through. I can understand that situation. I don't know if it affects him or not. I don't think it does. And it shouldn't - he's doing great'', the Ferrari driver concludes.