George Russell: I may have received two F1 titles if I arrived sooner at Mercedes

George Russell believes he could be a two-time System 1 world champion had he raced for Mercedes through the earlier guidelines cycle.

Russell graduated to F1 in 2019 after profitable back-to-back titles in System 2 and System 3 with ART.

He spent three years studying the ropes at then-F1 minnow Williams earlier than lastly getting a plum seat at Mercedes, the workforce that had backed him since his early years in junior racing.

Nonetheless, the Briton’s step as much as Mercedes in 2022 coincided with a hunch within the its efficiency, because it failed to take advantage of the brand new ground-effect rules in the identical means as Purple Bull or McLaren.

Russell has nonetheless carried out brilliantly with Silver Arrows, scoring three wins and outsourcing Lewis Hamilton in two of the three years they spent collectively as teammates.

However the 27-year-old feels he may have loved much more success in F1 if he was a part of Mercedes’ dominant period in late 2010s and early 2020s.

“Being teammates with a seven-time world champion for 3 years isn’t easy,” Russell instructed the Athletic.

“There was as soon as a time that when you completed forward of Lewis Hamilton in a championship or in a race, you’d win the race. Or, when you’d end forward of the championship, you’d win the championship.

“If my time was 5 years prior, you can argue I’d have two championships in my identify.”

Hamilton left Mercedes with a yr left on his contract to affix Ferrari in 2025, making Russell the official chief of the Brackley-based workforce.

Russell has been joined by 18-year-old rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, creating an interesting dynamic inside Mercedes.

However the Briton mentioned having a brand new teammate within the storage has had no impression on his strategy this yr.

“I’m simply going about my enterprise, as I’ve been the final couple of years,” Russell mentioned.

“I’m working with the identical group of engineers, the identical group of mechanics.

“Clearly, Lewis was such a big presence that you realize that he’s not round. However on the day-to-day working of issues, it’s no completely different.

“I’m sat at my desk in entrance of my pc. I do my warm-up in my room, I soar in my race automotive, I put my helmet on. I wish to management my very own future at first.”