Russell is sure: "Hamilton is the greatest F1 driver of all time"

George Russell spoke to Tom Clarkson for the official F1 podcast Beyond the Grid. In the interview, the British F1 driver spoke at length about his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

According to Russell, Hamilton is the GOAT, short for 'Greatest of all Time'. "He is the greatest driver of all time, and, every single weekend, I go out practice, quali, race. You are directly compared to the greatest driver of all time."

He also looks back at the Japan Grand Prix, where he had a tough battle with Hamilton. Russell calls it a fair fight and says he can only learn from it. "Having that sort of fair fight was extraordinarily rewarding for me, and why is it an incredibly satisfying position for me to be in, and such a privileged position to be in, because not many drivers get that chance."

'We all believe we are the best'

Russell is not running away from the comparisons between him and teammate Hamilton. According to the Mercedes driver, all Formula 1 drivers believe they are the best and can win the championship: "We all believe in ourselves, we all believe we are the best. We all believe that when we get the car we will win championships. There is probably 5 drivers on the grid, that you put them in the best car, they will win the championship. Of course, Lewis is one of those guys."

Standing his ground against Lewis

According to the single-race winner, the internal battle with Hamilton is the reason he is becoming more confident, but it is not easy: "If I am going head to head with him week in and week out, that gives me the benchmark. I also don't think  I have ever been pushed in my whole career like I have been pushed in these last year and a half. To see that I am swimming and swimming well, gives me so much faith in myself, so much confidence. I always had, but there is sort of no doubt now. I truly believe in myself, the team believes in me. And that’s been really down to the fact that I’ve been teammates with Lewis and held my own.

Lewis Hamilton is currently third in the Formula One championship with 190 points and five podium finishes. George Russell is eighth with 115 points and one podium finish.