By: Staff Reporter
The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team has confirmed its driver lineup for the 2022 season. The team announced that George Russell would take up the vacant seat by Valtteri Bottas, who has joined Alfa Romeo.
Team principal Toto Wolff was happy with Russell, indicating he has been a winner in every racing category – and the past three seasons with Williams have given them a taste of what the future could hold for him in F1. He also had a run-out with Hamilton’s Silver Arrow when he contracted Covid-19 and impressed. Russell would have won the race had it not been for a rare pit-lane mix-up by the Mercedes mechanics.
That resulted in him tumbling from first to fifth, but Russell had a puncture that ended his fairytale run while in pursuit to regain the top spot.
That race showed his abilities, and his exploits at the wet Spa Circuit in qualifying cemented the move. He managed to take the Williams car and put it in the second spot on the grid after a breathtaking qualifying lap that Max Verstappen only outdid. He, however, could not show what he would have done as rain cancelled out the race, and only two laps could be done behind the safety car.
Speaking on the move, Wolf said: “Now, it is our challenge together to help him continue learning within our environment and alongside Lewis, the greatest F1 driver of all time. I am confident that as their relationship grows, they will form a strong team and deliver for Mercedes on and off the track in the years to come. It’s a weight off our shoulders to have our plans for 2022 clear and announced; but now, our focus returns to the final nine races of this season and putting everything into our challenge for this year’s world championships.”
Russell said it was a special day for him personally and professionally, but it was also a day of mixed emotions.
“I’m excited and humbled to be joining Mercedes next year, which is a huge career step, but it also means I’ll be saying goodbye to my teammates and friends at Williams. It has been an honour working alongside every team member and an honour to represent the Williams name in F1,” said Russell.
He added that he was buzzing ahead of next season and vowed to grab the opportunity he has been afforded with both hands.
“But I’m under no illusions as to the scale of the challenge; it’s going to be a steep learning curve. Valtteri has set a high bar, consistently delivering week in and week out, scoring wins, pole positions and helping win multiple championship titles. My target must be to reward the trust that Toto, the team, and the board have placed in me by ensuring I play my part in continuing that success, and I want to do my new teammates proud,” he said.
“Of course, one of those new teammates is, in my opinion, the greatest driver of all time. I’ve looked up to Lewis since I was in go-karts, and the opportunity to learn from someone who has become a role model both on and off-track can only benefit me as a driver, a professional, and a human being. For now, though, I have nine more races as a Williams driver, and I want to make sure they are the best nine of my time with the team,” said Russell.
