Image source: ReutersByAndrew BenjaminF1 Correspondent24 Minutes ago14 CommentsGeorge Russell had to wait four more years than he anticipated for this and now that it has finally arrived, he says he feels a way he never expected. As fate would have it the location of our interview brought Russell full circle. The Mercedes driver will officially open the British Grand Prix track’s new karting center on a beautiful spring evening in Silverstone. Russell began his motorsport career with karting more than 20 year ago. He is now in the place he dreamed of when he first started. He just thought it would come sooner. When Russell, 28, joined Mercedes, he was already a rising star after impressive performances at back-of-the grid Williams. His graduation came following a run eight consecutive world titles for Mercedes and his then teammate Lewis Hamilton’s titanic title fight with Max Verstappen. His arrival at Mercedes coincided a dip in the team’s form. Now, Mercedes is back at the top. Russell claims that he feels nothing has changed. “I was surprised myself,” he says. “I just go about my daily process. Every time I get into a racecar, I don’t consider the big picture of winning the championship. “I only think about the present moment, like going out to qualify. How will I drive the fastest possible lap for the race? How can I get the best start to the race, the best race? I’m not going to try and stand on the top step of the podium, just go about doing my business. “I know we’re in a fight, but I don’t even think about it. I know that to win the championship you have to go through these processes. “This is what sports people say all the time. The Briton will only acknowledge that this year has been different by saying “there is definitely a slight difference in intensity”. This mentality is a common psychological trick for sportspeople, but he insists that it is not forced. “It’s the mentality that I’ve had since I was young,” he says. “Probably what my dad instilled in me when I was 10 years old, fighting for karting titles. “I’ve done this, not in Formula 1 but in all those championships as a child. I knew then what it took to win these championships. “The stakes today are higher.” When I was in F4 and fighting for the championship that was the most important thing in my life. At the time, it felt like F1. It was this that allowed me to fight hard for these victories. “Image source, Getty ImagesThe start of the season was good for Russell. He won the pole position in Australia and the sprint race in China, and he also took the pole in Australia. But since then, things have gone wrong. A technical problem in grand prix qualifying in China allowed 19-year-old teammate Kimi Antonelli to slip in and take the pole position, from which the Italian took his first victory. In Japan, two weeks after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were cancelled, bad timing with a safety vehicle relegated Russell to fourth place and promoted Antonelli. The Italian won again. Russell says that at the moment they are battling each other. “Last season, if two cars qualified a few tenths apart, there were probably four or five in between. “If you had a bad start you couldn’t just climb back up the front like we are doing now. We were punished for making mistakes. So far this year, we haven’t been punished for our mistakes. Russell is too cute to say that the last comment is a reference Antonelli’s race in Japan where a poor start dropped him to the back of the field, before he recovered. Russell is quick to point out that Antonelli has had bad starts in all three races. I saw it last season. He showed signs of great speed. It’s still early days, and I’m certain it will be close. “Would Russell like it to remain this way or does he wish for another team to improve enough to have their drivers get involved?” “I love the competition,” he admits. It keeps things exciting. “I love to win when there is a lot of competition. It’s the same every day. I want my opponent to have everything because I’m going to be able… I want to win knowing that they have given their all. That’s what motivates me. My view is that the more the better. Verstappen’s Red Bull team has had a tough start to the season, and it is obvious that he is not in the title fight this year. Does Russell wish that he were in the fight? “Yeah,” he replies.It is no secret that Verstappen and Russell have not always been on the same page. They’ve had several very public disagreements during which they both expressed their views about each other’s character. Russell says, “They’re fine.” “We have a little respect for each other.” I admire what he is doing on the track. And I respect what’s he doing right now. “He’s racing his GT cars and enjoying himself. If I were a four-time champion, I would probably be doing the exact same thing. He’s already achieved what I am striving for now. “I would not forgive myself if I looked back and saw that I had been distracted from a championship match by other activities. If you’ve achieved all that he has, then good for him. “[embedded text]Verstappen was the most outspoken driver of all about the new rules introduced into F1 in this year, giving Mercedes the opportunity to leap back to first place. Verstappen’s catchy phrases to describe these new cars with engines that are 50-50 internal combustion and electric power include “Mario Kart”, Formula E on steroids”, and “anti-racing”. They require energy management throughout the lap and have been criticised because they prevent drivers from going flat-out during qualifying. Even though there have been more overtakes, this hasn’t always been viewed as a good thing, as some of them are due to the vastly different battery charge levels that are inherent in the new rules. Verstappen is not the only driver who has criticised the new rules. Russell, however, has a different opinion. “I don’t agree with that at all,” he states. “I personally enjoy the car. The engine and power-unit are definitely different. It just needs some fine tuning to optimise it. It’s given the chance to fight harder and do back-and forth racing. “We’re at a kart-track now. Lewis made an excellent point: in a kart racing, you overtake a corner, and he overtakes it back. They overtake again. No one has ever called it Mario Kart, yo-yo race or whatever else you might call it. We call it great racing and pure racing. Russell, as the director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association led the drivers’ representations to the rule makers that the cars needed a change so qualifying could become more flat-out – hence some rule changes this week. But he believes that even that has been overstated. He says that anyone who believes drivers are slowing down in corners so they can be faster on straights is wrong. “There are a few small quirks that the FIA has done its best to eliminate. These are complicated details that fans don’t need to know. “From this race on, these minor changes will make our lives easier. We won’t need to lift off during a qualifying lap because we’ll be running flat out on the straights. “He also points that what’s going on in the cars this season should be seen within the context of F1 history. “I remember listening to the engines roaring 20 years ago, and it was amazing. But I didn’t see a single overtake,” says he. “That was arguably the purest Formula 1 that we’ve ever witnessed. The racing was boring. “I think we only remember positive things. In the present we tend to focus on the negative. There are many positives to this new regulation and these new cars. “I spoke to a Formula 1 racer from the ’80s or ’90s who said that they would have had a boost button which would give them an extra 300bhp, but at the end straight, when they lifted off, they would run out of gas. “So, this has always been there in some way. It’s obvious that things are different now, but it is important to remember the positives from the past. “Image source, Getty ImagesRussell and Verstappen’s relationship on and off the track has always had an extra bite because Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff made no secret about his admiration for Verstappen. Verstappen ended up staying where he was this year and Russell signed a contract. Is there a doubt that Russell will remain with Mercedes in 2027? “Apart from me announcing this here on your camera right now,” he says “there is no need to worry.” “Yes, there are options in the contract but they are based on performance. The performance is strong at the moment so the things will continue. “Is ‘performance’ a reference to a certain championship position? Russell says “Yes”. His future is secure and he has only one goal in mind. “To win,” says Russell. “Simple as. “The championship? “Every race. “Every race.
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