Lewis Hamilton and George Russell share similar driving style, according to Williams' Head of Vehicle Performance

Williams' Head of Vehicle Performance Dave Robson claims George Russell shares a similar driving style to Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. The senior team member praised Russell for his brilliant work ethic with the team ahead of the Briton's highly-anticipated move to Mercedes in 2022.

Dave Robson has worked with George Russell for three years, helping the driver polish his racecraft. Robson claims the former Williams driver has an instinctive driving style that can be further developed. He told Motorsport.com:

“I think his driving style is a bit between Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. It will be important for George to adapt well. He already drives quite instinctively, so he will continue to improve.”

Speaking about Russell's work ethic with the team, the F1 veteran said:

“His work ethic and the way he brings a team together along with his skills and confidence are incredibly important. He has a lot of talent. More drivers have that, but George also always gets the best out of the team and makes the right decision at crucial moments.”

Robson served as Jenson Button's race engineer during his McLaren years, helping the 2009 world champion fine-tune his abilities. He joined Williams in 2015, initially as Felipe Massa's race engineer, but later went on to take on more senior roles.

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George Russell praised Lewis Hamilton's work ethic in the past

Speaking to AutoSport in 2019, George Russell was in admiration of Lewis Hamilton's work ethic, calling it a "motivating factor." The then-debutant praised his fellow Briton for his efforts on and off track, claiming it was refreshing to see the veteran driver not relying solely on talent. Russell said:

“He’s got a number of different activities he does and he’s an extremely talented driver but when he comes to the track, he will work his arse off to maximize everything. He’s worked really hard at it, so that was kind of refreshing for me, that a guy like him isn’t just relying on his talent and it just comes to him, he’s out there working for it.”

The young driver acknowledged that Hamilton's work ethic is a result of his many years of experience, having entered the sport all the way back in 2007. He continued:

“I think that’s something he’s probably improved on as he’s got older. He can’t go out and rely on speed because if the car’s not quite working, you need to be able to push the team forward in the right direction. I’m convinced that that’s what he’s been doing over the last few years.”

With Lewis Hamilton's return to the sport being allegedly contingent on the results of the ongoing FIA inquiry, it is still unclear whether the Briton will star alongside the much-hyped George Russell in 2022.