"I feel ready to fight" - Mercedes driver George Russell ready to fight Lewis Hamilton and others for the F1 championship

Mercedes driver George Russell believes he is ready to fight for the F1 World Drivers' Championship as he enters his second season alongside Lewis Hamilton.

The British driver is confident and feels that he can post a title challenge given a competitive car.

In an interview with AMUS, Russell said:

"I feel ready to fight for the championship."

The 24-year-old driver has been regarded as a potential world champion by many F1 pundits since his debut in 2019. Russell spent three years at Williams, putting in stellar performances at the lower end of the grid. Russell joined forces with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2022.

Although Russell ended 2022 by beating his teammate in the drivers' standings, the points table wasn't definitive. Both Russell and Hamilton matched each other on pace in qualifying and race stints.

Lewis Hamilton seemed to have the edge over Russell as the seven-time world champion came alive in the second half of the season. Although Hamilton was faster, it was Russell who claimed the team's only win and pole last season.

Russell said in the interview:

“At the end of the day, nobody remembers that I beat Lewis on points. I only finished fourth, so no man's land.”

"If someone had offered me a win, a pole position, and eight podiums a year ago, I would have said: No, thank you. My aspirations and those of the team are much higher than what we have achieved."

Mercedes had an underwhelming season last year. The team was plagued by porpoising early in the season. Hence, the team spent most of its time and resources resolving the issue rather than developing the car. This left the German team on the back foot.

Speaking about Mercedes’ 2023 challenger, Russell said:

"We know we're building a car that will be faster than last year's car.”

“I am also sure that we will improve compared to last year. But we don't know what everyone else has done. And that's the problem. It's a relative game.”

While Lewis Hamilton is looking for an all-time record eighth F1 championship, Russell could pose a threat to Lewis' title hunt.

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Lewis Hamilton hopes 2023 brings new opportunities

Hamilton hopes 2023 will bring new opportunities for himself and the team to keep fighting and improving. Lewis Hamilton endured his worst F1 season as he stood P6 in the driver standings. Hamilton had never finished outside the top five in his career before the 2022 F1 season.

Lewis Hamilton said in an interview:

“I’m definitely excited for 2023. A new year to be better, a new year to climb, keep fighting and unite even more. And it’s another chance to fight for a World Championship.”

Mercedes are set to unveil their 2023 challenger W14 on February 15.

With the two drivers capable of posting a title challenge, the inter-team rivalry at Mercedes will be interesting to watch as the season unfolds.