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Mercedes' GP3 champion Russell wants to partner Norris in F2 in '18

Mercedes Formula 1 junior and new GP3 champion George Russell says he would "love" to be team-mates with Lando Norris in Formula 2 next year to compare their abilities

Russell secured the GP3 title at Jerez last Sunday, while Norris can wrap up the European Formula 3 Championship at Hockenheim this weekend.

Norris has previously said that he is likely to switch to F2 or the Super Formula series in Japan for 2018.

Russell is also eying a step up to the Formula 1 support series next year, and wants to directly measure himself against his fellow Brit in F2.

"I'd love to be team-mates with him [Norris], because I think there's a lot of hype around him and Charles [Leclerc] at the moment," Russell told Autosport.

"My goal next year will be to try and win the Formula 2 championship, which is where it's looking like I'll be racing next season.

"I think Lando is definitely going to be one of the main rivals out there and I'd prefer having him as my team-mate in exactly the same equipment to me as [opposed] to him in another team.

"I want to be the best and you've got to beat everybody.

"I [also] think it would make a good little team.

"I'll probably speak to him and his management and see what they think about it - it would be good for us."

While Norris has been tipped for a drive with Prema, Autosport understands DAMS is Russell's most likely destination for 2018.

GP3 Title vindicates switch from F3

Russell, the 2014 BRDC Formula 4 champion and McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner that same year, has scored four GP3 wins and three poles so far in his rookie season.

He sealed the championship with a round to spare and is the first British winner of the category since Alex Lynn won for Carlin in 2014.

The 19-year-old spent the previous two seasons racing in European F3, in which he took three wins and a best championship finish of third in 2016.

After making the switch to GP3 for this year, Russell said his title success vindicated joining the third-tier category on the F1 support bill.

"Last year was a tough year for me," he explained. "I felt like I performed extremely well but the only way you can judge that is to my team-mates.

"I had two strong team-mates [Ben Barnicoat and Nikita Mazepin] and I think I out-qualified them 28 out of 30 times.

"So this was my selling point to Mercedes and then when we had the opportunity to race in Macau [in 2016], I put a lot of work into the event because I knew it's a driver's track.

"I knew if I performed there that would show that I'm capable of doing the job and that's exactly what we did by putting it on pole.

"Certainly this season will, not make up for the previous two, but I think it's probably what we've deserved."

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