George Russell: “My driving style worked well with these cars”

George Russell has just completed one of his best seasons in Formula 1. Despite a few mistakes, the Mercedes driver delivered a more than convincing performance in 2024, with two victories (in Austria and Las Vegas) and four podiums.

If 2022 was the year he scored the most points (275 units), his 2024 campaign was just as impressive. In a single-seater often difficult to understand and drive, and against increasingly fierce competition, the former Williams driver showcased all his talent, particularly in the qualifying exercises.

Qualifying largely in Russell’s favor in 2024

In 24 sessions, the Briton outperformed his teammate 18 times in official qualifying and consistently beat Lewis Hamilton in sprint qualifying. His excellent performances in the fast lap exercise have inevitably caught attention, especially given the pace shown by his teammate, a seven-time world champion.

Asked if he had an explanation for this pace, the former Formula 2 champion highlighted his driving style. « I think my natural driving style probably worked well with these cars. »

A gentle handling that benefits him

Indeed, the style described as minimalist by George Russell has served him well since the new regulations of 2022 and the return of ground-effect cars. The Briton often takes rather smooth trajectories and makes only one steering move when taking a corner. This allows him not to strain the tires, thus reducing their pressure while maintaining them at an optimal temperature, a crucial practice in qualifications, where a good tire temperature is essential to achieve the best possible lap.

In contrast, **Lewis Hamilton adopts a more aggressive style**. The former McLaren driver is a fan of late braking, which he combines with rather abrupt steering maneuvers. This style causes instability in the rear of the car, which has cost him dearly on several occasions and made his single-seater increasingly difficult to drive, particularly in qualifying. Nevertheless, George Russell was keen to qualify his remarks, stating that the new cars are not the only source of his higher pace recently.

« But, at the same time, my record in qualifying against my teammates with the previous generation was good, and in every category, my qualifying results were solid. »

« I don’t think there’s anything particular about this generation. But, obviously, Lewis has been my toughest teammate, so I think that’s why it’s been highlighted a bit more. »

An increasingly marked understanding of the single-seater.

According to him, it is mainly the experience gained over the season that allowed him to better understand the car and the tires, and to maximize his results — which he managed to do, especially at the end of the season (seven top 5 finishes in the last eight races).

« You learn over the course of the season what to do to get the most out of the tires, where you can exploit the car’s strengths, and where you need to be cautious of its weaknesses. [At the end of 2024], I know exactly where the strengths and weaknesses are and the elements to which I need to pay attention. »

Managing poor results is also essential; I think I’m pretty good at turning the page and moving on while learning from those moments, whereas in my youth, I would most likely have dwelled on things longer. Now, even if I’m behind Lewis in an FP3 session, or even in Q2, I don’t stress. I know that what happened before doesn’t matter. It’s that one lap in Q3 that will make the difference.

With the transfer of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari, George Russell now becomes the leader of Mercedes. A new role for the Briton, who will have to lead the team to the top.

Despite everything, his end-of-season pace proves that he has all the cards in hand to enable the German team to regain trophies, especially as he will be accompanied by a very talented young driver: Andrea Kimi Antonelli. With all these changes, Mercedes will certainly be one of the teams to watch in 2025.