Russell has recently scored points in four of the last five Grand Prix, propelling him to 15th in the drivers' standings this year.
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Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, is eager to see what impact George Russell will have in F1 next year when he steps onto “the main stage” at Mercedes. After three seasons of waiting in the wings with Williams and learning his trade, the 23-year-old Mercedes protege will be given his chance with the team. Russell, who replaces Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, will race alongside seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton against Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at Red Bull as F1 enters a new aerodynamic era. Russell has been delivering brilliant performances this season with Williams and it seems like he will be the one Mercedes will be looking at for the long-term.
“For sure, he strengthens the team. He is a great talent. You’ve seen that in a Williams,” Horner said when asked about his views on the young British driver. “He has achieved front-row starts and podiums and he is obviously a talent for the future. You can see why Toto (Wolff) has taken him for next year and I think he really deserves that chance. How that will play out only time will tell,” the Red Bull Racing team principal added.
Russell has frequently demonstrated his prodigious talent in an underperforming Williams over the years, and he delivered a superb performance in stepping in for Hamilton at Mercedes in last year’s Sakhir Grand Prix after his fellow British driver contracted Covid.
Russell has recently scored points in four of the last five Grand Prix, propelling him to 15th in the drivers’ standings. “It’s exciting for everyone to see,” Horner said, echoing Verstappen’s promotion from Toro Rosso to Red Bull a few years ago. “The one thing that doesn’t stand still in this sport, or any sport, is time and there’s always an emerging talent, there’s always somebody coming through.,” Horner continued.
“We’ve seen that with Max, and George is from the same sort of era and the same sort of ilk and it’s going to be fascinating to see how he gets on in that sort of environment, stepping up onto the main stage,” he added.
Indeed, 2021 has been a year that has seen a number of young up-and-comers show glimpses of their true potential. Russell is certainly one of them. However, the most impressive youngster this season so far has got to be McLaren’s Lando Norris. At the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Norris showed exactly what he is made of, finishing in second place. The temple of speed saw some fine racing by the Brit indeed.
Another young driver who has impressed this season is Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. Ocon only recently won his first-ever Grand Prix in Hungary this season. It was the first-ever podium finish for Alpine and it was not delivered by the veteran Fernando Alonso, but Ocon.
The likes of Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz have also delivered some impressive performances this season, and of course, there is Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who seems like he will become the next big thing in the sport.
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