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Mercedes driver George Russell is looking forward to the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend after a brilliant victory in Brazil. The Briton won his first Formula 1 race last weekend with teammate Lewis Hamilton finishing second.
Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, during the drivers' press conference, George Russell explained how nothing has changed much and that he is the same driver after Brazil victory. Russell always believed that he was capable of winning races and even a world championship in his career. George said:
"To be honest, I always believed I could achieve victories and you believe you can become a world champion. For sure confidence is high and the morale within the team is booming. But you know, I don't suddenly feel transformed overnight. I still feel the same driver as I was this time one week ago."
George Russell is looking forward to the season's last race at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The 24-year-old explained how the pace has been good in the car over the past few races.
Even though Max Verstappen and Red Bull will be looking strong in Abu Dhabi, Russell hopes that Mercedes can give them a strong fight. As Mercedes were unexpectedly fast in Brazil, Russell hopes that something similar happens this weekend too. The Briton said:
"Yeah, I think we’ll be going for it. To be honest, I think since Austin the car's been performing really well and probably better than we could have ever hoped for. For sure, Max and Red Bull are going to be fast here."
George continued:
"I think the combination of the low-speed corners and the long straights, they are going to suit their car really, really well. But, you know, we saw even in Brazil, on a circuit that we didn't expect to be quite as competitive, we were still very quick. So yeah, we'll be going for it."
George Russell could've joined Mercedes sooner, feels Toto Wolff
After a heroic drive at the 2022 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff praised George Russell as he won his first race in Formula 1. Toto talked about how the young Briton came up the ranks and won both F3 and F2 world titles before entering the F1 grid with Williams.
Even after struggling with Williams, George Russell showed resilience and consistency. Toto Wolff even admitted that Russell could've been given a seat at Mercedes a year earlier. He said:
"We've always set hard targets. You've got to win GP3, you've got to win F2, and [Russell] did that in his rookie seasons. And then I guess at Williams, it was the best schooling he could have had, maybe a year too long."
Mercedes and Toto Wolff set hard goals for George Russell since they wanted a polished driver for the team. Russell proved that he is worthy of the seat by winning a race and finishing ahead of his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, who himself is a seven-time F1 world champion.
