"You need to lose to be able to win" - George Russell has pep talk for Mercedes going into 2023 F1 season

George Russell has a positive outlook going into the 2023 F1 season. The Mercedes driver claims making mistakes is good in the long run as the team can double down and get better in the months to come.

Russell had an impressive first year with Mercedes, finishing at a career-best P4 in the standings at the end of the year. In doing so, the Briton managed to outperform his teammate and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who had the worst season of his F1 career. Despite Russell's success, Mercedes had an unsuccessful campaign in 2022 after having won the constructors' title for eight years in a row. The team was unable to grasp the newly introduced aero regulations, leading to a severe fall from grace. Mercedes' 2022 challenger, the W13, was riddled with porpoising in the first half of the season. As a result, the team was unable to catch up to Red Bull and Ferrari, who dominated the rest of the field.

George Russell sees a silver lining for the Brackley-based team, claiming that losing is needed to eventually win. He told the High Performance podcast:

"I think, in terms of your progress, you need to lose to be able to win. I think, this year, I've had some failure and a small amount of success. Mercedes, we're here to win. They've won the championship for the last eight years. [Struggling to win has] not been where we've wanted to achieve. But we've been very consistent, we've achieved results, and we've been solid."

---

Lewis Hamilton pushed George Russell to become a better driver

George Russell claimed that seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton pushed the Briton to his limits during 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 was 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. I've learned a huge amount going up against somebody like him in the same car. There is no better reference."

Lewis Hamilton had his first winless season in the sport in 2022, making this year his least successful campaign to date. In stark contrast, George Russell had his most successful season in the sport this year, finishing fourth in the drivers' standings after having scored his maiden win at the 2022 F1 Brazilian GP. With Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff confident of his team's resurgence in 2023, we are likely to see Russell and Hamilton battle against each other and the rest of the field at the top of the grid next year.