George Russell: Lewis Hamilton 'really pushed me to my limits as a driver'

George Russell recapped all the work he had to do to beat Lewis Hamilton as his teammate in his first year with Mercedes. Despite the difficulties the team faced throughout the season, Russell recalled how he felt upon finishing ahead of the seven-time World Champion in the same car.

He stated that there is no better reference and that Hamilton made him 'push his limits as a driver.' He told the media:

"I feel incredibly fortunate to be with a team such as Mercedes and teammates with Lewis – he's really pushed me to my limits as a driver."

Over the course of Lewis Hamilton's entire career, George Russell is only the third driver to ever defeat him as a teammate. Before Russell, there were Jenson Button in McLaren (2011) and Nico Rosberg in Mercedes (2016). He feels privileged to have achieved this.

"I've learned a huge amount going up against somebody like him in the same car."

"There is no better reference."

George Russell joined Mercedes this year and while Hamilton faced a hard time in the Mercedes W13, Russell seemed to be well-acquainted with it.

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George Russell confident that Hamilton will be 'back to his normal level' in the upcoming season

The 2022 season turned out to be a nightmare for Lewis Hamilton as he faced his lowest championship finish ever in F1 since his debut in 2007. This also marked his first-ever season without a single pole position or a victory, which was pretty devastating for the seven-time champ.

Meanwhile, Russell had a blast coming in from Williams to Mercedes. Nonetheless, many are confident about the team's 2023 car and like the majority of the fans, Russell also believes that Hamilton will perform much better.

He said:

"We've all had our own difficulties. I've no doubt that he's going to be probably back to his normal level next year."

George Russell also believes that while he had the upper hand in the team during the first half of the season, Hamilton seemed to 'swing back' after that. But he feels that the season 'balanced itself out.'

Toto Wolff, the team principal, stated that he was proud of the engine that the team produced (since the major issues of the car were with the aerodynamics) and that they are looking forward to next year.