Russell: Williams struggles won't hurt my F1 career

F1 rookie George Williams is positive his career won't be hindered by Williams' 2019 struggles. The historic team has plummeted from its once lofty place in Formula 1 and looks set to race around the back of the pack for the foreseeable future.

Russell joins F1 after fighting off fellow rookies Lando Norris and Alexander Albon for the Formula 2 championship last season. A Mercedes junior driver, the Briton is aiming for a long career despite racing teammate Robert Kubica for last place in both races so far this year.

Despite the bleak prospect for his first season in the sport, Russell believes he won't be hurt by the goings on at Williams.

"Nobody realises in the outside world but the people who will make a difference to my career moving forward, they know exactly how my performance is and they are keeping a close eye on that," he told Autosport.

"They are pleased with that and that's great for me The guys here, the guys at Mercedes, they know exactly how I'm performing. From my side, they're the only people who need to know.

"It's quite difficult in Formula 1 from an outside perspective, the fans, or the people watching on TV to fully understand if that driver is doing a good job or not.

"The people who need to know, know exactly how I'm performing."