Russell shows problem with F1: Verstappen “would have at least done the same”
F1 News
- GPblog.com
In Sakhir, George Russell showed his class when he had to fill in for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. This came as no surprise to brother-in-law and former rival Nyck de Vries, as he sees George as a complete driver.
Russell seizes his opportunity
Russell and De Vries have known each other for some time now. Russell is in a relationship with De Vries' sister and so the two still see each other on birthdays and holidays. De Vries did not look crazy when Russell immediately managed to impress in the Mercedes of Hamilton. However, according to the Formula E driver, it also reveals a pain point.
''He has shown that as soon as he is in a car with which he can win, he seizes that opportunity with both hands," said De Vries to Motorsport.com. According to the 2019 Formula 2 champion, Russell has everything he needs to succeed in Formula 1, but that applies to more drivers.
Could other drivers do what he did?
''Unfortunately, it also showed that the difference in material in Formula 1 is simply considerable at the moment, with the result that you don't see a battle at the front like you see in midfield - and in other classes. George is undoubtedly very good, but if you put Max Verstappen in that car, he would at least have done the same, as would Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo, who all have similar capabilities.''
De Vries, however, has no doubt that Russell will get it in 2022. Whether it succeeds sooner, De Vries doesn't want to say anything about it. ''Of course I'm not going to talk about that. It will probably be quite complicated. But nothing is impossible. Time will tell whether Mercedes thinks that is necessary. I do know that everyone is really looking forward to seeing a real battle at the front, for example between Lewis and George. I think that would be nice," concluded the Mercedes FE driver.