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It has been two years since George Russell became a driver for the Mercedes team. He believes that in 2023, he managed to match the pace of his teammate and seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
However, Russell is not satisfied with just this much. He wants to move ahead and be faster than him.
The Briton finished eighth in the drivers' standings this year, accumulating 175 points over the entire season. He recorded two podiums and four DNFs throughout the season. Even though Hamilton finished five places ahead of Russell, the latter thinks that his pace is 'on par' with the former.
Speaking on this aspect of his performance, via Planet F1, George Russell said:
“I’ve been on Lewis’ level, on average, throughout this year. And I’m not satisfied with just being on his level. I want to be ahead of him. But I’ve also got to be realistic. I’m going up against the greatest driver of all time.
"He’s definitely not a bad benchmark. And, you know, I think qualy statistics, if you include sprint races, we’re exactly the same. And pace-wise, we’re generally the same as well."
The British driver placed quite an emphasis on the need for pace, giving it priority over the result of the races. He said that it is more important to keep track of the pace, instead of just 'lucking out' into a podium.
George Russell prepared for a more successful 2024 F1 season
Russell said that he is quite confident in the team as they head into the 2024 season, saying that the Silver Arrows will arrive at the first race. He expects the team to take steps forward, and contend for the Constructors Championship.
Speaking about the changes in the next season, the 25-year-old said, via Eurosport:
“We’ll be making some steps forward no doubt, but Red Bull are so far ahead at the moment, and they stopped development months ago. So, they’re going to make a huge step again. But I’m confident we’ll be in a better place come Bahrain than we were in the last two years.”
Mercedes finished second in the constructors standings this year, after edging out Scuderia Ferrari in a year-long intense battle. The 2024 season will bring about new changes to every team, and will give fans another exciting year of Formula 1.
