How Russell can make history again in F1 2023
George Russell's first season at Mercedes was a resounding success amid the context of the team’s struggles. But things could get spicy against Lewis Hamilton in 2023 if Brackley's latest car is good enough to place either driver on the F1 throne
George Russell joined an exclusive club last year when he became just the 12th driver to start a world championship Formula 1 race for Mercedes. Come the end of the season, he'd collected an even rarer accolade, by becoming only the third man in 16 years to beat Lewis Hamilton over the course of a campaign with the same machinery.
Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg are the other members. Both are world champions, and to emulate them remains Russell's ultimate aim. With his Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory late last year, he's taken a big step towards achieving that ambition. He now knows that he can win at the top level – and under severe pressure, given the late safety car restart that gave Hamilton the chance to mount an attack that never came, because his teammate was in control up front.
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