Russell: "I would defeat Verstappen after Hamilton if he were my teammate."

George Russell is bursting with confidence and determination. Although this year's Mercedes is not exactly the brand's and the team's brightest construction to date, there is no complaint about the British driver's performance.

Another question is what Russell claims, that if he were to sit in the Red Bull, he would beat Max Verstappen...

"Before 2021, Lewis Hamilton was the person everyone admired, who everyone clearly considered the best driver in F1, and whom everyone wanted to beat. At that time, it was almost obvious that no one could beat Mercedes, at most just another Mercedes, and only his teammate had a chance against Lewis. Then I arrived, and from the very first race, I performed, and except for one year, I defeated him in every other season I spent together. Because I always believed in what I know and what I do. Now, people think of Max Verstappen what they thought of Lewis Hamilton back then, incorrectly in his case as well. But Max is just a driver, a mortal, and as such, he is beatable. And I believe in myself enough that if we were teammates, I could beat him too. If I managed to beat the best driver ever, why wouldn't I be able to beat him?

People often forget what happened back when Lewis Hamilton arrived in Formula 1. He had to stand up against a prime Fernando Alonso, and right from his first nine races, he showed what he was capable of. That's how this sport is." - Russell reflected.

Photo: GpFans / PlanetF1