"I have probably widened that envelope of my driving skills"- George Russell on Lewis Hamilton's impact on his F1 career

George Russell is in his first full season as a Mercedes driver. The 2018 Formula 2 champion is having a very good season with Mercedes after driving for Williams from 2019 to 2022. Russell finished higher than his teammate, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, in 10 out of 16 races.

Russell is currently fourth in the championship, only seven points behind third-placed Sergio Perez of Red Bull. Russell has learned a lot from his teammate and fellow compatriot over the course of his career. He's been a part of the Mercedes Driver Academy since 2017 and has interacted with Hamilton a lot.

According to Russell, Hamilton helped the young prodigy 'widen the envelope' with regard to his driving skills. He said:

"He has always been very strong and it has been interesting to see his approach to certain issues and how he goes about it. There is no doubt that I have probably widened that envelope of my driving skills by being his teammate."

Russell earned a moniker as Mr. Saturday during his time with Williams. The Brit put his slow Williams into Q3 multiple times and performed well on Saturday. But come Sunday, other cars could easily overtake the slow Williams, and Russell was unable to score many points.

He has shown great pace this season, even on Sundays, consistently finishing in the top five. He's earned a new title in Mr. Consistency for his performances.

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George Russell hunting for the elusive maiden win

George Russell has had a great season with Mercedes, but the only feather missing from his cap is a Grand Prix win. George Russell won his maiden F1 pole at the 2022 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Brit has finished on the podium eight times this season, coming very close to a win at the Dutch Grand Prix where he finished second. Russell will look to finish high in the final six races. With Singapore coming up next, a track Mercedes has excelled at in the past, the chances of getting that elusive first win are also very high.

With Lewis Hamilton's career nearing an end, it certainly seems like his fellow countryman is more than capable of carrying the Silver Arrows to more world titles in the future. Who Russell's next teammate will be is still up in the air, while the entire grid is set for significant reshuffling after the 2022 F1 season.