Russell got to know Mercedes in 'bad' season: 'There was a lot of tension'

Williams talent George Russell made his debut at Mercedes in 2022 and was unlucky that the championship team lost its leading position in that very year. The Briton got to know the team at a precarious time.

Russell got to know Mercedes at difficult time

After eight titles in a row, Mercedes had to work its way up from a considerable deficit to the front during 2022. It proved too late for the team and drivers Russell and Lewis Hamilton to catch up with Red Bull Racing and Ferrari. Red Bull took the constructors' title and Max Verstappen took the drivers' title, but Mercedes still almost managed to beat Ferrari. They did not succeed, but Mercedes showed resilience and grew a lot during the season. Russell even won a race.

In the High Performance Podcast Russell talks about what it was like to get to know the dominant team of the past decade during a down period: "I think for sure the dynamic would have been slightly different had we arrived at the first race and had the fastest car on the grid. A lot of questions were asked. There’s been a huge amount of late nights throughout this season. A lot of tension at times between drivers teams, designers with regards to, are we on the right tracks?"

Russell's patience tested

Russell gives a little look behind the scenes at Mercedes and how the team recovered. Russell: "These were very difficult conversations that we come away from them closer together and we’ve got such great leadership in Mercedes that we are now all pushing in one direction. Whereas perhaps", says the Briton concluding, "if you arrive at the very first race and your car was the quickest you go back to the thought that ‘everything is a little too easy’." In doing so, Russell does betray that he is up for a stiff challenge. The Mercedes driver thought he would get away from Williams and immediately show what he can do at the front, but his patience was further tested and he has been given that challenge.