How Russell staked his claim for Hamilton's crown

Slumped disconsolately against a grassy bank at Imola while marshals shepherded his damaged Williams off the track, George Russell could not believe what he had just done. Having accumulated a near-spotless record through his Formula 1 career to date, he'd just committed one of the biggest don'ts in racing: shunting behind the Safety Car.

Running 10th and eyeing the prospect of scoring his first F1 point, Russell pushed too hard while trying to get warmth into his tyres before the restart, causing his Williams FW43 to spear left into the wall at the entry to Acque Minerali.

"It was such an amateur mistake," says Russell. "I felt just pure frustration and annoyance at the error I just made. It was such a schoolboy error."

The Imola blunder was all the more glaring because of the reputation Russell has built since making his F1 debut at the start of 2019. As part of Mercedes' junior stable, he theoretically holds the keys to a very long and successful F1 career - provided he can continue to demonstrate growth and improvement. For while Mercedes is clearly satisfied with its current driver line-up, it needs to maintain a succession plan for when a vacancy arises, and that means keeping young talents such as Russell in play.

Despite the limitations of Williams' cars in the past two years, Russell has made a name for himself as a future star by regularly outstripping the capabilities of his machinery. He has still never been outqualified by a team-mate at Williams: his record is 37-0.

The level to which Russell had impressed at Williams meant Mercedes did not think twice when, following Lewis Hamilton's positive test for COVID-19 ahead of the Sakhir Grand Prix, it required a last-minute stand-in. A deal was brokered with Williams to give Russell a shot in the all-conquering Mercedes W11, even if just for a weekend.

Wearing race boots one size too small, and using both a seat and steering wheel not fitting his 6' 1" frame - Hamilton is four inches shorter - Russell flourished. He narrowly missed out on pole position in qualifying, but made a perfect launch from second on the grid to seize the lead at Turn 1. Had it not been for a pitstop blunder and a subsequent puncture with 10 laps to go, limiting him to an eventual ninth, Russell would likely have won on debut for Mercedes.

It was a performance that only added to the feeling that Russell may one day - perhaps as soon as 2022 - be sitting in that cockpit full-time, inheriting the throne from compatriot Hamilton and writing the next chapter of the Mercedes F1 dynasty.

But just weeks before Russell's star turn in Sakhir, his seemingly gilded career trajectory has come close to stalling and that's what makes Russell's Safety Car imbroglio all the more significant: it was like that moment in any epic story when the protagonist has not only been put through the wringer, they've hit rock bottom.

The threat that Russell might be ousted to make way for him was very real for although Russell had been the quicker of the two Williams drivers, commercially it made less sense to retain him since both Latifi and Perez bring a substantial budget

Russell was seen as a key player in F1's driver market for this year, given he was the most likely candidate to replace Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes were F1's champion team to decide change was required. Mercedes ultimately opted for continuity and handed Bottas a one-year extension to his contract. This meant Williams could announce as early as mid-July that Russell would be staying put, seeing out the third and final year of his existing contract alongside Nicholas Latifi.

It's said that contracts are made to be broken, though, and Williams was a team in flux as new owners moved in. US investment fund Dorilton Capital acquired the team in September, replacing the Williams family, and commenced a full review of the team - leading to questions over whether this review extended to the already-confirmed driver line-up. Doubts began to arise over Russell's future as Sergio Perez entered the equation.

Having been dropped by Racing Point in favour of Sebastian Vettel, the Mexican veteran - who brings a respectable portfolio of paying sponsors - was scrambling for a seat, and running out of options as both Haas and Alfa Romeo passed. Dorilton was another entity to which Perez's management paid a visit, and the threat that Russell might be ousted to make way for him was very real.

For although Russell had been the quicker of the two Williams drivers, thus holding the stronger performance case, commercially it made less sense to retain him since both Latifi and Perez bring a substantial budget. By contrast, Russell has never brought any sponsorship, meaning if Dorilton's plan for Williams was to earn money quickly (or at least stem its losses), Perez was the more attractive proposition.

Merit vs cash - F1's very own scales of justice. In its pomp, Williams would have taken the former, no question, but this august team's resolution has wavered in recent years. In 2012 it paired Pastor Maldonado with Bruno Senna, both paying drivers, and, while Maldonado scored that memorable win in Spain, the overall experience was such that Williams took on the more promising Bottas for the following season.

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff had a hand in proceedings then, as a Williams shareholder with a parallel involvement in Bottas's management group, and he sought to intervene once again over Russell. After a curious non-denial denial by Williams' then-acting team principal Simon Roberts (who said, during a press conference, "I'm not going to say anything about either of our drivers. There's so much speculation around, I don't want to inadvertently fuel it") Wolff made direct contact with the new owners to establish the lay of the land.

There is a powerful lever Wolff can pull - he sets the commercial terms of the team's engine supply - and yet he appeared to have been directed politely but firmly to mind his own business, saying afterwards, "There is a financial reality that I cannot judge at all. It's absolutely the discretion of the new owners and Simon to decide what they want to do going forward. It's a political decision and a commercial decision. We have to respect the independence of Williams and their decision-making process."

Russell remained defiant, saying the speculation had "been fed by the Perez camp" to "apply pressure on other teams further down the grid, potentially Red Bull", but obviously wanted clarity about his future as swiftly as possible. Five days later Williams, belatedly perhaps, damped out the flames of speculation by confirming his position was safe. As relaxed as Russell had been in public, he acknowledges this was an unpleasant period.

"It's never nice to hear any speculation that your job is potentially up for grabs," he says. "But nevertheless, I was confident in what I could perform, and ultimately I had to do the talking on track."

So just how under threat was he? Perez says there were "some talks, but nothing more than that", while Russell's camp was always confident internally that the speculation would pass. The interpretation that it was largely a kite-flying exercise by Team Perez to exercise pressure elsewhere is probably correct.

The commitment to Russell is an important statement from Dorilton about the direction in which it wants to take Williams. It could easily have taken the money but recognised the importance of keeping faith in Russell. Perez would have done a perfectly respectable job banking whatever points became available but is unlikely, after over a decade in F1, to develop further.

Russell's star quality comes with Mercedes' seal of approval and his contribution to Williams has already been huge, acting as a beacon of positivity through a disastrous 2019 season, and helping its progression towards the midfield in 2020. All he is missing from his Williams resume is some points.

Ever since his appointment in late 2018, Russell has been seen as a powerful statement that Williams wants the best young talent in at least one of its cars. In private, senior figures connected to the team have lamented its dalliances with pay drivers through the past decade, feeling this has contributed towards the team's downturn. Dorilton's decision to retain Russell appears to confirm the wider message from the team that the new owners are in for the long term and are prepared to invest to restore Williams to frontrunning status.

It was crucial for Russell's development that he avoided following Ocon down the path of a year on the sidelines, followed - assuming he found another seat - by a year of struggling to regain momentum

While grand prix racing began as a sport for wealthy individuals, and remains an arena in which entrants can attain great riches, the modern F1 brand is built on the promise of the best drivers racing the fastest cars. Three sons of billionaires are set to be on the grid next year - Latifi, Lance Stroll, and Nikita Mazepin, who has joined Haas - so for Russell to have been cast out in favour of those buying their way in would do little to bolster the case for F1 being a meritocracy.

Mercedes is understandably keen to maintain the successful, apolitical and un-rancorous partnership between Hamilton and Bottas in its works team, and sometimes that has meant making difficult decisions regarding its junior drivers.

Esteban Ocon found that out the hard way in 2018, when Lawrence Stroll's buy-out of Force India left him without a seat there, and an option at Renault closed when it hired Daniel Ricciardo instead. A year as Mercedes' in-house sim jockey followed and, although Ocon returned in 2020 with Renault, it took him some time to get back up to speed.

"That's how Formula 1 is," says Ocon when asked to reflect on the similarity of his circumstances with Russell's. "It can be cruel sometimes."

It was crucial for Russell's development that he avoided following Ocon down the path of a year on the sidelines, followed - assuming he found another seat - by a year of struggling to regain momentum. Mercedes, which has overseen his career progression since his F3 days, clearly recognises this. Russell would not have been left on the shelf.

"He would have been a very strong reserve with us," says Wolff, "and we would have found an additional programme for him. I'm happy that they decided in favour of him. He deserves it, his performances are outstanding. They made a good choice."

Staying in F1 ensures Russell remains on a trajectory to one day land a full-time Mercedes seat, and 2021 will be the year to stake his claim - subject to two important caveats. If Williams can continue its recent upswing and get into the thick of the midfield, the opportunity will be there for Russell to prove why he should get a shot at the front of the grid when Bottas comes to the end of his contract. But Russell needs to not fluff it when such opportunities to shine arise.

That's why, as he sat at the side of the track at Imola, staring at his wrecked Williams and shooing away an enquiring marshal, Russell felt further away than ever from being an F1 frontrunner. The enormity of the blunder was not lost on him.

"I'll never forget this day, this mistake," Russell wrote on Instagram following the crash. "I'll learn from it, be stronger for it. I'm so sorry, to the whole team. No excuses." He also wrote a letter to the Williams team sincerely apologising for squandering its best chance of points for some time.

To teams running young-driver programmes, how one of their charges responds to crisis moments such as this is every bit as important as positive on-track performance data. The likes of Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost racked up multiple championships not only through being blisteringly quick behind the wheel, but also through galvanising their entire teams to do their best work.

It's a measure of the respect Russell already commands that so many of his peers, and experienced F1 figures, reached out via social media to put a figurative arm around his shoulder.

"Will take some time to forget it, but what you do is mega, keep pushing," wrote Romain Grosjean.

"Brutal yes mate, though you'll be better for it," said Mark Webber. "All part of the polishing and continuing to lift the bar."

"Small blip in a long career ahead of you in F1," wrote David Coulthard. "Don't worry about it and keep showing us what you're made of."

Hamilton also composed a thoughtful, encouraging and widely shared note, and is happy to explain why.

"It was just important," he says. "Looking at those that are in the early phases of their F1 career, I've been there. I know what it's like to have experiences like that. I just wanted to show that it's OK, and don't beat yourself up too much."

"I think in some of that adversity, he probably learned. Hopefully he'll look back in five or 10 years' time and think that [2019] was actually very valuable, miserable though it was at times" Dave Robson

The sheer volume of support took Russell slightly by surprise.

"It meant a huge amount to me," he says. "It was very surprising. Race winners, fellow drivers, ex-world champions, even people outside of Formula 1. Everybody knows that we are pushing to the absolute limit."

Russell has another high-profile fan in the form of double world champion Fernando Alonso, whose early F1 career followed a similar trajectory in that he was part of Renault's driver-development scheme and placed in a small team - Minardi - for his 2001 rookie season. Speaking before that blip in Imola, Alonso said, "George is the one that surprises me every weekend. He's driving the Williams with zero mistakes. I'm really surprised by his natural speed."

"It's very difficult, especially for us in the position we are when we are near the back of a grid, to really show what I can do as a driver," adds Russell. "To the outside viewers, it can be hard to recognise what a driver is doing is very difficult. So, to have the support and praise of the likes of Fernando means a huge amount."

Alonso's success is proof that life at a backmarker team and the ensuing challenges can be a good formative experience in F1. Williams head of vehicle performance Dave Robson hopes Russell will ultimately look back fondly on the challenges of that first season in 2019, and notes Russell's development since then.

"He's exceptionally good," Robson says. "He has stepped up. Obviously the car's helped him a lot over the last year, but even so, I think he was very good at making the most of the situation [in 2019].

"I think in some of that adversity, he probably learned. Hopefully he'll look back in five or 10 years' time and think that [2019] was actually very valuable, miserable though it was at times.

"He is really valuable. He's got the confidence, and now experience, to really guide us. He's got a lot more to learn, but undoubtedly has stepped up. He is a genuine talent and a massive asset to the team."

Russell is growing into the complete package - but could he one day be the heir to Sir Lewis Hamilton's throne as both Great Britain's and Mercedes' foremost F1 star? The seven-time world champion sees no reason why not.

"What he's been able to do is similar to if you look at Alonso," Hamilton said prior to Sakhir. "A lot of the drivers coming in to one of the teams that are further back, having an opportunity to grow and improve and lead a team and make mistakes.

"It's just been great how he's handled everything [in 2020] and what he's done with that car, to put it into Q2 quite often, and really delivering great results.

"I'm really impressed with his racecraft and how he's growing, and I really think he is the future. There are several drivers that are the future of this sport, but he's one of them that I'm really excited to see his progression. I've no doubt that he has the potential to be a future champion."

High praise indeed - but not praise Russell is willing to let go to his head. For all the hype that may be building around him, he wants to remain grounded and focus on delivering on-track instead of dwelling on his future or the added pressure of following in such esteemed footsteps.

"I obviously really appreciate these comments, without a shadow of a doubt - but it's almost background noise," he says. "I know I have to continue to perform week in, week out. As fantastic as it is getting a pat on the back and praise from these guys, I've got to back that up with the job that I do on-track.

"I've always tried not letting comments like this get into my head. I'm doing this sport for myself and my family. The biggest amount of pressure I have is from myself, and not from anybody else."

Russell proved beyond all doubt in Sakhir that, even with minimal preparation for the task of replacing a seven-time world champion, he has what it takes to win races and fight at the front.

There is little more he can do to strengthen his status as Hamilton's heir apparent. Now it is just a question of staying on the radar until Mercedes gives him the nod - potentially as Hamilton's future team-mate.

"I can understand that it would be an interesting situation to have both in the team, and maybe [it would be] a bit of a wild ride for all of us," said Wolff after the Sakhir race. "Maybe that will happen in the future."