How Russell left Mercedes with little real choice over his F1 promotion

OPINION: George Russell has got the Mercedes promotion he has long desired. Here’s how and why Formula 1’s leading team has decided to give him a shot as Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate from 2022 and just maybe the chance to lead its future championship charges

“Brave, but sensible. Quick, calm – just a really good, professional, brilliant lap.”

That’s how Williams’ head of vehicle performance, Dave Robson, summed up George Russell’s sensational lap to qualify second for the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. Russell’s against-the-clock, wet-weather heroics would of course go to seal his first F1 career podium in the controversial abandoned race that followed.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.