Table of Contents
- George Russell Mercedes debut came with a bag full of anxiety, sponsored by thoughts of racing with Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton
- Russell confesses that joining Mercedes came with mixed feelings, mostly fear of racing with Hamilton
- The British driver revealed that fitting into the shoes of Bottas gave him endless thoughts. What bothered him so much was living up to Mercedes’ expectations set by Hamilton
George Russell Mercedes debut came with a bag full of anxiety, sponsored by thoughts of racing with Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton.
Russell confesses that joining Mercedes came with mixed feelings, mostly fear of racing with Hamilton, who was the then-reigning F1 champion. He was moving from Williams where he had spent three seasons with the Formula One team. It was a dream come true, but with different expectations that unsettled his whole being.
How would a former Williams driver beat a big star like Hamilton, and better yet, win his first F1 championship title with Mercedes?
What was George Russell Mercedes Debut Like?
Self-doubt and anxiety marked George Russell Mercedes debut. He revealed his insecurities to his psychologist in one of their sessions.
The British driver revealed that fitting into the shoes of Bottas gave him endless thoughts. What bothered him so much was living up to Mercedes’ expectations set by Hamilton.
Mercedes driver George Russell. He confessed that joining Mercedes came with mixed feelings, mostly fear of racing with Hamilton who was the then reigning F1 champion. He was moving from Williams. Photo/Sky Sports
He expressed that he second-guessed himself despite knowing that he was a capable driver. His psychologist urged him to work on maintaining his focus and not his insecurities.
In a tell-it-all interview recently on the Untapped podcast, the British said that George Russell Mercedes debut was a big day for him in his entire career.
His first race calmed down all other doubting voices that nagged him whether he would come close to Hamilton’s excellence on the track.
His psychologist walked with him for months before his debut race as a Mercedes driver. While he had a conviction that he was skilled enough to race against any F1 driver, he had his doubts until the D-day.
George Russell Stay with Mercedes
Racing for Mercedes in 2022 tested his mental strength since the team was under pressure to win the season’s constructors’ title.
He joined a season after Hamilton’s was unfairly denied his eighth world F1 Championship by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Formula 1 driver George Russell with former Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (now racing for Ferrari). Russell’s Mercedes debut came with a bag full of anxiety, sponsored by thoughts of racing with Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton. Photo/BBC
Incidentally, Mercedes’ W13 disappointed the team throughout the season. Dubbed the ground effect era, Mercedes bid goodbye to its winning days, something that put the entire team under immense pressure.
Despite W13’s shortcomings, Russell still managed to score a podium finish at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. It was his first P1 finish that drove away all the fear he had of racing F1 big shots.
He eventually eased up with the seven-time F1 star as they grappled with underperformance issues of W13, W14 and W15.
Has George Russell Won a Grand Prix with Mercedes?
After George Russell Mercedes debut, he won a total of four Grand Prixs for Mercedes AMG Petronas. He always followed in Hamilton’s steps as he squared his battle of matching Hamilton’s standards and winning an F1 Championship title.
He has performed welll in the 2025 F1 season as Hamilton struggles in Ferrari.
