George Russell compares Max Verstappen to 2021 Lewis Hamilton: “He seems unbeatable, but I don’t fear anyone”. George Russell compares Max Verstappen’s current dominance to Lewis Hamilton in 2021.

George Russell believes he is ready for any challenge in F1 after going toe to toe with Lewis Hamilton during their three years together at Mercedes.

George Russell sees himself as championship material
When Mercedes brought George Russell on board with the start of the current generation of cars, it was immediately clear that the bar had been raised even for Lewis Hamilton, who had been the undisputed team leader during Valtteri Bottas’s tenure. The 1998-born driver showed no reverence and sought to earn a starring role on track, refusing a subordinate status and earning at least equal recognition to the seven-time world champion.

The stats from the Russell-Hamilton duel reflect their balance: 28-27 in race finishes in favour of Russell (considering only races where both reached the chequered flag without disqualification), 697-695 in total points for Hamilton, while the #63 had the edge on Saturdays, beating the pole position record-holder 39-29. In short, it was a largely even three-year span in which Russell faced Sir Lewis without fear, learning all the trade’s secrets along the way.

George Russell’s words
“I’ve always said I don’t fear anyone as a teammate. At the end of 2021, Lewis was the strongest driver — no one thought anyone at Mercedes could beat him. I came in and did well from the first race,” Russell told Germany’s Motorsport Total. “The reputation Lewis had is the same Max Verstappen has now: nobody believes Max is beatable.”

A 2026 at Mercedes?
George Russell also hinted at seeing himself at Mercedes next season and believes he can soon win the World Championship: “I’ve always believed in myself. Look at Fernando Alonso: he won two titles early in his career, and people thought he’d get to ten, but he never won the championship again. The same goes for Sebastian Vettel. Michael Schumacher needed five years at Ferrari before winning a title. This is my fourth year at Mercedes — next year will be the fifth… but in the end, no one knows when their moment will come. You just have to make sure you deliver consistently, and time will tell what happens.”

Staying at Mercedes would mean a lot to Russell. The Briton’s contract is expiring, and his seat has been under scrutiny in recent months due to the potential arrival of Verstappen himself. However, that scenario appears increasingly unlikely as time passes, and even team principal Toto Wolff has recently hinted that the #63’s contract renewal path is now clear.