Russell gives Schumacher advice: 'If I was in Mick's shoes'

George Russell is delighted that Mercedes have managed to tie Mick Schumacher to the team. Although the rookie will not have a permanent place on the grid next season, the Briton expects Schumacher to be of crucial importance in the background.

Last race year, the two men faced each other on the circuits during race weekends. Whereas Schumacher once again failed to convince at Haas F1, Russell immediately left an excellent impression in his first season at Mercedes. Despite Schumacher's previous results in Formula 1, however, Russell thinks his new teammate has a lot in him.

"I am sure there are things we can learn from him," Russell stressed in conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport. "For him, seeing how this team operates, seeing how Lewis and I work together and with the engineers will probably be useful for him. If I was in Mick's shoes, I would be working super hard in the simulator here in Brackley, trying to integrate yourself well with the team."

Mercedes hope to compete for the world title in 2023 with Hamilton and Russell and, according to Russell, that requires a strong team. "We need top quality drivers as often as possible, Mick is one of them. He needs to be locking himself in that room and doing the laps."

Important role for Schumacher at Mercedes

Team boss Toto Wolff has previously revealed that Schumacher will be involved in the team's decisions as a reserve driver during Grands Prix as much as possible. For now, however, the driver will have to wait and see when he can take to the track for the first time with the W14.