George Russell celebrates his 23rd birthday: A year to seize his Mercedes F1 seat

Happy Birthday to George Russell, who turns 23 today [Monday]. In his first two years as a Formula 1 driver, Russell showcased his skills but has rarely had the opportunity to do so on the big stage. He will be hoping this time next year, he'll be celebrating his birthday inside the Mercedes F1 factory as they prepare for 2022 pre-season testing. 

Is it a realistic wish? 

Mercedes have been very clever. They've got three realistic candidates for their two seats next season. The old experienced seven-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton. A driver who knows the team extremely well and has played that 'wingman' role perfectly, Valtteri Bottas. And their next-generation World Championship contender George Russell. 

Guess what? Toto Wolff and co have opted to merge all three drivers into the exact same contract cycle. Russell has a deal expiring in December 2021 at Williams, Bottas' 2020 summer deal ends in December 2021, and recently Hamilton added one more year meaning his contract also expires in December 2021. 

Whether by accident or on purpose, Mercedes are leaving their options wide open. And you can't blame them seeing as Formula 1 is heading towards a brand new era in 2022. 

And from that, it looks like Russell has every chance to take control. A chance to use the next season to give Wolff the reasons he needs to sign Russell for that Mercedes seat. And if he makes a successful claim, Russell could well be celebrating his next birthday as a Mercedes driver.

 

 

 

 

 

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A massive year for Russell

Russell's birthday celebrations today might be slightly muted. It's that time of year where drivers start to get focused on the challenge that lies ahead of them. 

The fruits from the Williams takeover last season aren't expected to arrive just yet. Perhaps that's more of a 2022 thing when the rule and regulations book gets reprinted. It makes sense for the team to put the bulk of the focus on next year. 

Maybe Russell won't be getting a car capable of scoring many points, but he gets another chance to prove he is making steps forward as a driver. His Mr Saturday nametag at Williams should remain intact. Coming up against Nicholas Latifi, he shouldn't get too many troubles in that department. A 100% Williams record he wants to maintain. 

To give Mercedes something to be impressed with, Russell needs to escape Q3 more often than not. He proved it's possible last season, particularly with those who had a Ferrari engine struggling at the back. It's probably one of the main targets Russell has on his mind as he moves into his next year. A target he'll need to smash to seize a Mercedes seat. 

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