It's lone a substance of clip earlier Mercedes confirms rising prima George Russell arsenic Lewis Hamilton's teammate for 2022, according to Australian large Mark Webber.
Russell is successful the last twelvemonth of a three-year declaration with Williams, having consistently outperformed his teammates astatine the struggling team.
The 23-year-old has been the champion performed Williams operator successful qualifying successful each 1 of his 46 races for the team, earning him the nickname 'Mr Saturday'.
He's already had 1 contention for Mercedes, filling successful for Hamilton astatine past year's Sakhir Grand Prix erstwhile the satellite champion was struck down by COVID-19. Russell was connected way for triumph successful that contention earlier the squad bungled his pitstop, described by Mercedes brag Toto Wolff arsenic a "colossal f--- up".
He had the amended of teammate Valtteri Bottas successful that race, and present it appears Bottas volition beryllium looking for a caller thrust successful 2022.
The Finn has had an up-and-down commencement to 2021, he's presently 5th successful the rubric race, 58 points down Hamilton and 90 points down title person Max Verstappen.
In a defining infinitesimal earlier successful the season, Bottas and Russell were eliminated aft colliding astatine Imola erstwhile Russell tried to walk Bottas. The information that Bottas, successful a Mercedes, was adjacent battling Russell, successful the overmuch slower Williams, provided a stark opposition betwixt the fortunes of the 2 drivers.
In an exclusive interrogation with Wide World of Sports, Webber says the determination to a front-running squad volition trial Russell.
"Going up against Lewis is going to beryllium highly challenging," helium said.
"But George has got astir 50 races nether his loop now, truthful he's acceptable for it.
"Lewis went consecutive successful astatine the beforehand of the grid erstwhile helium started, which conscionable shows you the calibre of Lewis. Only the precise peculiar drivers tin bash that. Ninety-nine per cent of guys request immoderate races to get utilized to the thought of moving astatine the front.
"George is acceptable for it, but it's a antithetic happening to qualifying good successful sub-par machinery and doing good erstwhile there's small unit connected you."
Webber's notation to Russell's qualifying signifier is simply a wide denotation that the Brit volition beryllium expected to beryllium connected the gait instantly erstwhile helium makes the move.
One of the factors successful this year's satellite title contention betwixt Verstappen and Hamilton is the enactment their respective teammates tin springiness successful taking points disconnected their rivals.
When Verstappen crashed retired of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it was his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez who picked up the win. Perez, presently 3rd successful the championship, is seen arsenic a bigger assistance to Verstappen than Bottas is to Hamilton.
"George volition cognize that there'll beryllium a immense displacement successful strength that comes with the anticipation of qualifying connected the beforehand enactment each azygous week, and expecting to decorativeness successful the apical fewer positions each race," Webber explained.
"Whether helium tin get connected apical of Lewis implicit 23 races though, that's a large call."
Whether Bottas decides to proceed successful F1 oregon telephone it quits is chartless astatine this stage. Most of the different seats astatine the starring teams are already sorted for 2022. The astir apt option, should Bottas privation to proceed racing, is simply a consecutive swap with Russell, returning Bottas to the Williams squad helium drove for from 2013-2016.
While the overhaul of F1 regulations is apt to shakeup the moving bid successful 2022, lone the astir optimistic Williams protagonist would spot the squad arsenic a beforehand runner, leaving Webber to question Bottas' information successful a midfield squad aft truthful agelong astatine the front.
"Thankfully I did it the different way, I was mean for overmuch of my vocation and finished astatine the front," helium said.
"Doing it the different would beryllium hard, and Valtteri wouldn't beryllium going to a squad that's 2nd oregon third, it's going to beryllium further backmost if helium chooses to enactment successful F1.
"That volition beryllium a large daze mentally, there's a accidental he'll find himself getting lapped, having been astatine the beforehand challenging for victories astatine Mercedes.
"I don't attraction who you are, that's going to beryllium hard to take.
"It's going to beryllium a pugnacious modulation for him."
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