Capito gave Russell advice: 'I'm sure of it'

George Russell announced last year that he was continuing his career with Mercedes. The decision was a disappointment for Williams, but team boss Jost Capito is convinced that he will see the Briton back at the team in the future.

Russell made a good impression at Williams in 2021. The driver managed to end the year with 16 points, nine points more than his teammate Nicholas Latifi. A move to a bigger team was therefore soon a possibility.

As Mercedes chose to say goodbye to Valtteri Bottas, a spot suddenly became available at the German racing stable. Russell had already driven a Grand Prix in the Mercedes car in the past, so the team knew what they were getting with the driver. At the end of the summer, they then announced that Russell would replace Bottas.

It meant Capito had to say goodbye to Russell, but not before giving him a message. "When he left, I said, 'I'm sure you'll come back to Williams at some point, because you want to be world champion,'" he explained in an interview with the German RTL.