Magazine: George Russell interview, Autosport International preview

The rising British star outscored Lewis Hamilton last year, but the W13 wasn’t capable of fighting for the title. Can Russell beat Hamilton again if the car is good enough and the seven-time champion isn’t required to spend time troubleshooting?

We’ll only get the answer to that if Mercedes can make big enough gains to catch Red Bull, something Russell thinks is possible, but the 24-year-old has already shown he’s got what it takes to compete
with the best in F1.

Alex Kalinauckas speaks to Russell in this week’s cover feature to get the Briton’s take on the Mercedes recovery, getting used to battling at the front of the field and his relationship with Hamilton. We also hear from the team about Russell’s attitude outside the car.

It’s still nearly two months before F1 kicks off again, but this weekend a new Formula E era begins. The powerful Gen3 machines will battle it out in the Mexico opener, and Jake Boxall-Legge is your guide to
the challenges of the new all-electric cars and what to look out for in our preview.

Ken Block, who died aged 55 last week, took motorsport to a new audience and Tom Howard looks at his legacy in his column. Our World Rally Championship preview will appear next week.

The Autosport National Rankings was once again closely fought in 2022. Stephen Lickorish talks to the winner about his remarkable season and Marcus Simmons reveals the final top 100 in our 13-page National section, which also includes the latest club news.

The Autosport International show returns this week after its COVID-induced hiatus. Our 10-page guide picks out the likely highlights, including F1 machines, Engineering, displays and the Live Action Arena, plus there’s a helpful map and list of exhibitors.

Look out for opportunities to subscribe to Autosport magazine at the 12-15 January event. Autosport International tickets are available here.

If you’re not heading to Birmingham’s NEC, why not get Autosport magazine delivered to your door each week by subscribing online today.