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Jenson Button is one of several members of the motorsport community who have pointed out that George Russell is more comfortable with Mercedes' lack of success this season than Lewis Hamilton or even Toto Wolff. Despite the struggles faced by the Silver Arrows, the 24-year-old is now fighting for positions that he never had the opportunity to fight for at Williams, making fourth place in the drivers' championship standings a significant win for Russell.
As reported by PlanetF1, the 2009 F1 world champion explained why George Russell does not appear to be struggling too much, saying:
“It’s easier for George [Russell] because he hasn’t won in a long time. For him, the Mercedes is still a step up from last year, so he can be a bit more relaxed about it. He also finishes ahead of his team-mate, even if it wasn’t entirely his fault in Miami as Lewis [Hamilton] was unlucky with the Safety Car. The reason why Mercedes struggle so much is because they have the ‘porpoising’ in the high-speed corners as well. Straight-line speed is fine, it’s just not comfortable for the drivers. [In] lower-speed corners the Mercedes car is very good, so the potential is definitely there.”
Dutch racing driver Tim Coronel also commented on Russell's difficult days at Williams and revealed that while Mercedes may not be fighting for the championship this season, it is certainly a step-up for the Briton. He said:
“Russell has had to drive a chicken coop of a car for the past few years [at Williams], let’s get that straight. He had to learn to adapt to the car and get the most out of it. And he does.”
Describing George Russell as the "anchor" of the team, former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick said:
“To me, he almost feels like the anchor to the team right now. Lewis is frustrated, doesn’t feel like they have made any progress. Toto [Wolff] sounds very frustrated. I know they are not doing what they are used to doing, but George sounded really collected and said they have to stay the course.”
As the only driver to have consistently secured top-five finishes in the 2022 season so far, one can safely say that the young Mercedes man's confidence and comfort with the car is reflected in his consistency.
Mercedes boss reveals he is "really happy" with George Russell's relationship with Lewis Hamilton
George Russell, in his first year at Mercedes, has already proven himself to be an integral team member. As reported by Sky Sports, team boss Toto Wolff revealed that the relationship shared between the two Mercedes drivers has largely contributed to their decent third position in the constructors' standings.
The Austrian said:
“I enjoy seeing them working together, the level is high from both of them. And that has put us in a decent situation in the Constructors’ Championship. I’m really happy about the two of them, how they interact, how respectful they are with each other.”
Although most people expect the Mercedes pairing to have more of a mentor-mentee style this season, Lewis Hamilton has been outperformed by his teammate on several occasions this season.
