George Russell has been branded as a Mercedes driver in-waiting for a while now. With his contract at Williams ending in 2021, Russell might want to jump to racing for a more competitive team. However, things are never certain when it comes to Formula 1.
At the press conference held at Imola, Russell opened up about his relationship with Mercedes. The Brackley-based team has been very generous to him and he has repaid them with impressive performances while at Williams. As a result, Russell does not seem to have any intention of severing ties with the Silver Arrows.
“Mercedes has been loyal to me since day 1. So that is not even crossing my mind at the moment. They have their faith in me, I have my faith in them. Time will tell.
“It has been clear since 2016, when I signed for Mercedes, ‘do the job on the track, and the opportunities will come.’ So yeah, let’s wait and see, that thought hasn’t even crossed my mind.”
Whether his teammate will be Bottas or Hamilton, Russell seems to be in line for the pole position to grab a drive at the German team next year. But things are unpredictable and a lot can change between now and then.
George cannot forget that Esteban Ocon was in the same position not too long ago. Just as he was ready to become a driver for Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas gave an exceptional performance in 2018 and ended up holding on to the seat in 2019.
All Russell can do at the moment is remind Mercedes that he is the man for the job. He can do that by getting his Williams car out of Q1 just like last year.
Do you think Russell will get a chance at Mercedes next year? Let us know in the comments below!