Williams boss Jost Capito has picked George Russell as the top threat to world champion Max Verstappen over teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Russell will race for Mercedes at the start of the 2022 season. He will be paired with the most illustrious driver on the grid in Hamilton, and will have to test himself against the seven-time champion.
With fans split on whether the youngster will learn the ropes first or charge for the title straightaway, it will be an interesting watch. However, what is for certain is that barring a miracle, he will have a much quicker car than the ones he had before.
As a result, Capito has picked Russell as the top threat to Verstappen over Hamilton, saying the youngster could match Super Max next season.
“He has nerves of steel and never gets discouraged,” he told German media outlet RTL, as quoted by thejudge13.
“George is very strong mentally and continues to grow more and more in that aspect.”
Championship battle
“As for the challenge with Verstappen, you don’t have to adapt to another driver’s character and personality to be fast,” he continued.
“I think he can fight with Max Verstappen, I am convinced of that.
“He has been part of the Mercedes Academy and is using his skills in the simulator to improve. Through this work he will be able to interact with a machine that will not be an absolute novelty to him, so I think he will be on top immediately.”
Russell arrives at Mercedes to replace Valtteri Bottas. He is only the third permanent driver swap the team have made this decade after Hamilton and Bottas. He will look to live up to the legacies of those drivers, and will begin in earnest in 2022.
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