David Coulthard believes that George Russell has done an exceptional job so far with the car that he has been given.
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Former Formula One driver David Coulthard has backed George Russell to do well this season at Mercedes despite not having the best of starts on paper. The Silver Arrows have been hit hard by the FIA’s new technical regulations and they do not seem to have come to terms with them yet. Coulthard believes that Russell has done an exceptional job so far with the car that he has been given. The former F1 driver has also urged the young Brit to be the voice at Mercedes, alongside Lewis Hamilton, that helps the team eventually develop a championship contender challenger.
“He (Russell) was brilliant with Williams. It led to him being courted by Mercedes, as everyone knows,” Coulthard said. “But the honeymoon period when you can do no wrong changes quickly, particularly when there’s an expectation that, given the car you are driving, you should be in the top three.”
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“What’s actually happened is Ferrari and Red Bull have come flying out of the blocks and there are some who might judge that George’s first couple of races have not been up to standard. I wouldn’t agree with that. I think he’s handled the car and the situation well. You can only drive the car you’ve been given,” he added.
Coulthard went on to praise his fellow countryman further, calling him a ‘brilliant all-round package.’ “His next job will be, along with Lewis Hamilton, to be the voice that enables his Mercedes team to develop a winning car,” he said.
“I’ve been super-impressed – George has performed in line with my expectations. For me, he’s a brilliant all-round package. He has speed, he has excellent communication skills. He’s a modern version of a top professional racing driver. I thought that before the season started and I’ve seen nothing since to change my mind,” Coulthard concluded.
Although Mercedes are in second place on the Constructor’s Championship table, it has been far from an ideal start to the season. Had Red Bull not suffered two car failures during the Bahrain GP, Mercedes would be languishing in third place. Toto Wolff’s team is currently on 38 points after two races, one point ahead of Red Bull and 40 points behind the in-form Ferrari.
The two Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, are in fourth and fifth place on the Driver’s Championship table.
